The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century
Fresh for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the BMA brings an exhibit that illustrates the influence of decades of hip-hop culture on the fine art and fashion aesthetic of today.
While hip-hop has vastly changed music and pop culture globally, its effect on the stodgy art world may be less apparent. But somehow, begrudgingly, the art establishment has had to acknowledge hip-hop’s influence on its creators, young and old.
Also seen within the exhibit is street fashion’s influence on the larger fashion industry from the mass market tier to high fashion. Examples are shown from the groundbreaking brand of Cross Colours, performance designs by Lil’ Kim, and finally, the merger of hip-hop and haute couture by Harlem’s street fashion king, Dapper Dan, and his collaborations with Gucci.
Somewhat less apparent in this show is the influence and contributions of hip-hop’s unique visual mode, graffiti art. Contributions by Ramellzee and Basquiat, two that dabbled with their own forms of graffiti, are acknowledged with some rare pieces, but nothing shown by even some of the more renowned artists dedicated to graffiti art as a creative form of its own.
It's nice to see hip-hop’s bold impact on the art world recognized, with some breath-taking effects, such as “Open/Closed” by Baltimore artist Monica Ikegwu or “Chain Strangle” by Michael Vasquez. Not just bold for their vivid color palette, these two works stand out for the unapologetic portrayal of the hip-hop generation and its values and aesthetics. All in all, this theme runs a quiet undercurrent through the entire show, the dynamic influence of the culture and cool of hip-hop at 50 years young!
The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century exhibition is showing at the Baltimore Museum of Art from April 5 to July 16, 2023. Tickets range in price from $5 to $15 and entry will be free for all visitors on May 21 and June 18.
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The show will continue to the Saint Louis Art Museum from August 26, 2023, until January 1, 2024.
Artists mentioned or shown in this article: