Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop at the Annenberg Space for Photography
By Keldine Hull
It’s not too late to catch Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop at the Annenberg Space for Photography, celebrating the role photographers have had in taking hip- hop culture from the streets of inner cities to the world. Visitors are taken on a photographic tour of hip- hop history, featuring photos of some of the most iconic artists in the genre. The show runs from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., until August 25. Admission is free.
Curated by Vikki Tobak with creative direction by Fab 5 Freddy, the exhibition covers nearly 140 works from 60 photographers. According to the Annenberg Space for Photography, “Guests will also see over 75 original and unedited contact sheets—from Barron Claiborne’s iconic Notorious B.I.G. portraits and early images of Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West as they first took to the scene, to Janette Beckman’s defining photos of Salt-N-Pepa, and Jamel Shabazz and Gordon Parks documenting hip-hop culture—CONTACT HIGH allows visitors to look directly through the photographer’s lens and observe all of the pictures taken during these legendary photo shoots.”
For true hip-hop fans, rare videos, memorabilia and music are included to complement the photos. Annenberg Space for Photography continued, “And in a first for the Photo Space, visitors can enjoy Contact High Records, a pop-up record shop featuring rare vinyl spanning the history of hip-hop.”
The exhibition is located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City. For more information, visit: https://www.annenbergphotospace.org/exhibits/contact-high/
