Hip-Hop: Seen/Unseen - My Archival Images Included in Boston Outdoor Exhibit

Having my images from the 1980s included in the Hip-Hop: Seen/Unseen exhibit is a highlight of my creative life.  I recently donated prints, negatives and writings to The Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archives at UMass Boston.  My hope was that the community and scholars could benefit from access to my work.  This Boston exhibit is near South Station, in Dewey Square Plaza on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  The following images and curatorial statement are from the opening reception.  The exhibit runs through October.

FEATURING
The Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive at Mass Boston, the personal collection of Chico Silvera, and select photography by John Nordell, John Brewer, Gabriel Ortiz, and more.

Curated by: Liza Quiñonez @streettheorygallery, Edo G @edogpics, Chico Silvera @chicosilvera77, and Pacey Foster @libraryofvinyl

Visitors examine my photographs on the left panel.

In honor of Hip-Hop's 50-year golden anniversary, Street Theory and The Greenway Conservancy are proud to present Hip Hop: Seen/Unseen, showcasing a carefully curated collection of early concert flyers and rare photographic archives from 1979 to the present. This mini-exhibition, nestled within the Dewey Square Plaza on The Greenway, is a tribute to the raw, captivating allure of Hip-Hop and its deeply embedded roots in Boston's social and cultural tapestry.

T. Nyne looks on as curator Chico Silvera points to T. Nyne's younger self in one of my images from The B-Town Rap Battle held in 1986 at The Institute of Contemporary Art.

Hip-Hop: Seen/Unseen explores the rich cultural heritage, historical journey, and pervasive influence of Hip- Hop in Boston, thereby exposing the vibrant yet often hidden heartbeat of the City.

So thrilled to be part of this historic event.  Note the Boston Bruins logo manhole cover.

THE EXHIBIT
Illuminated by Problak's 2022 mural Breathe Life Together as the backdrop, the exhibition strives to create an authentic portrayal of Hip-Hop's far-reaching influence on Boston's culture. It aims to provoke conversations about music's role in everyday life, the power of grassroots art, and now such movements can redefine a city's identity.

A panel discussion was held at the base of Problack's mural: Breathe Life Together

The show flyers trace the roots of the movement by capturing the genesis of the New York and Boston Hip Hop scenes, while the photographs transcend mere portrayal of iconic figures. Instead, they spot daily life, jam sessions, and gatherings through the lens of the five core elements of Hip-Hop: MCing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti, and knowledge.  These artifacts reveal how Hip-Hop has been intricately woven into the fabric of Boston's everyday life, profoundly influencing its language, fashion, and communal spaces.

The event featured vendors, break dancing, an expert panel discussion, free food, graffiti artists at work and giveaways.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
The Greenway Public Art Program is exclusively funded through grants and private sources, Hip-Hop Seen/Unseen, 2023 was made possible through the generous support of The Barr Foundation, The Greenway Business Improvement District, Goulston & Storrs, and G. Ortiz Photography.

Trailblazing Rusti Pendelton stands between me and curator Pacey Foster.  He was known as Rusty the Toe Jammer as he scratched records with his feet.  A set of my images documenting him performing was in offered in Sotheby's first ever Hip-Hop Auction in 2020.  Click and scroll down to view.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
The Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archives at UMass Boston - www.masshiphoparchive.org

Located across from Boston's train station on busy thoroughfare, the exhibition garnered attention from passersby.

I had a chance to meet and connect with another featured photographer John Brewer.  Of course, we were talking technique and cameras. Find him at @jbrewerphoto

Mad Mike of The Floor Lords poses with archival images (not mine). Curator Pacey Foster remarked, "It's magical seeing grown adults turning back to teenagers when they see themselves."  The Floor Lords, a Hip-Hop Breakin Crew since 1981, performed at the event and posted a wonderful video collage.  @floorlordsboston

Shawn Peete then and now.  He poses in the middle of the lower photo that I captured during Maurice Starr's 1986 Hollywood Talent Night.

Professor John Nordell teaches courses in the Arts, Media, and Design Program at American International College in Springfield, Mass. He blogs about the creative process at CreateLookEnjoy.com and teaches online Zentangle drawing workshops.  

Tweet

On the Road with a Polaroid - Shifting Horizons

From the Archive | Polaroid

Somewhere Between Palo Alto and Cambridge, Circa 1978

During my freshman year at Stanford University, I bought a Polaroid OneStep camera to document my life and travels.

Tweet

Back to the USSR

From the Archive | USSR

Lenin Presides over Red Square, 1988

I went to the Soviet Union in 1988 to cover the arts underground and emerging capitalism. My goal was to bring back a new view of the vast and complex society, different from the stereotypical fare of monuments and tanks.  However, I did not pass on this classic scene.  Shot on Fuijichrome with a Nikon FM2.

Holiday Boxed Prints are available.  Special pricing:  Five 8x10 prints from Create Look Enjoy for $97.00

From 1986 - 1992, JB Pictures secured assignments for me from magazines in the U.S. and abroad.  I also produced photo stories on topics ranging from political and economic change in the South Korea to the arts underground and new capitalists in the USSR to pollution in the United States.

Tweet

30 Seconds with President Ronald Reagan

From the Archive | Politics

Washington, D.C.  March 4, 1987.  President Ronald Reagan had just addressed the nation regarding his administration's role in the Iran-Contra scandal.  Three groups of roughly 15 photographers waited in the hallway outside the Oval Office.

Contact Sheet

My group's turn came.  We piled into the room and fanned out around Mr. Reagan's desk.  As he murmured something like, I'm sitting here pretending to read my speech so you can take a picture that looks like I am giving my speech, I shot a burst of 7 black and white frames (see above).

I then switched to my camera loaded with color film and photographed for the remainder of the 30 second photo opportunity.

Commander in Chief

During the actual speech, Reagan had apologized for misdeeds.  "A few months ago, I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not."

From 1986 - 1992, JB Pictures secured assignments for me from magazines in the U.S. and abroad.  I also produced photo stories on topics ranging from political and economic change in the South Korea to the arts underground and new capitalists in the USSR to pollution in the United States.

In the near future I will offer a limited number of specially priced Holiday Boxed Print Sets.   Each buyer can choose five images from this website and will then receive five 8 X 10 prints for $97.  I will announce the sale first to Create Look Enjoy subscribers.  If you have not yet subscribed, I invite you to do so now!

Tweet

Looking Back at the Twin Towers

From the Archive | Polaroid

Twin Towers (World Trade Center), circa 1979

While compositional principles maintain constant importance over time, the meaning of a photograph's content can change.

During a year off from college, I lived in New York City, worked as a camera salesman and often photographed with a Polaroid SX-70. © John Nordell

Tweet