Just saw a documentary about Martha Cooper tonight, makes me feel like I've accomplished nothing, which is pretty much the case...
But on another topic related to the film, she was there in New York City in the late 1970's photographing the early hip hop era, and also photographing the New York graffiti of that era along with getting to know the graffiti artists... She is clearly an outsider artist, but who has tremendous exposure within certain communities
So, yes, she was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, back in the film camera era when few if any other people were photographing hip hop or graffiti... Then in the documentary she said something about present day and smart phones, how virtually every street level music performance has at least one person doing a video or just taking photos... Is it less special today? She is now sitting on truly historical photos of a music genre (hip hop) that was just starting up, I would almost kill for an opportunity like that, alas I live in a far less active city than NYC, and what new opportunities even exist anymore like that... A book has been published about those photos of hip hop and New York graffiti
It leaves me thinking, how does someone in the digital era really stand out and get noticed? I think it is much harder now, I sometimes feel like I will always be anonymous, no one pays much attention even now... Like everything else in life, I feel like I live in hinterland...
Anyway, relevant links, the Instagram link is public...
Login • Instagram
Martha Cooper - Wikipedia
But on another topic related to the film, she was there in New York City in the late 1970's photographing the early hip hop era, and also photographing the New York graffiti of that era along with getting to know the graffiti artists... She is clearly an outsider artist, but who has tremendous exposure within certain communities
So, yes, she was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, back in the film camera era when few if any other people were photographing hip hop or graffiti... Then in the documentary she said something about present day and smart phones, how virtually every street level music performance has at least one person doing a video or just taking photos... Is it less special today? She is now sitting on truly historical photos of a music genre (hip hop) that was just starting up, I would almost kill for an opportunity like that, alas I live in a far less active city than NYC, and what new opportunities even exist anymore like that... A book has been published about those photos of hip hop and New York graffiti
It leaves me thinking, how does someone in the digital era really stand out and get noticed? I think it is much harder now, I sometimes feel like I will always be anonymous, no one pays much attention even now... Like everything else in life, I feel like I live in hinterland...
Anyway, relevant links, the Instagram link is public...
Login • Instagram
Martha Cooper - Wikipedia