In the Beginning
Curator Sean Corcoran Talks Hip-Hop Revolution
By Kyle Eustice
Photo historian Sean Corcoran has been in love with photographs as long as he can remember. As Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Museum of the City of New York, Corcoran has cultivated his passion into a reputable career. Originally from New York's Finger Lakes Region, Kodak was a big part of the economy at the time so he was captivated by photography at a very young age. After graduate school, he secured a job in the curatorial department at the George Eastman House in Rochester. He worked there for seven fruitful years, which allowed him to not only research and study the history of photography, but also afforded him the opportunity to learn the role of a curator. He began as a junior in the department and slowly worked his way up to having his own research projects and exhibitions. He eventually arrived at the Museum of the City of New York in 2006. Corcoran's other passion is music, especially hip-hop so he came up with Hip-Hop Revolution, an exhibition featuring photographers Martha Cooper, Joe Conzo and Janette Beckman. The trifecta of veteran photographers documented hip-hop culture in its entirety as it was beginning to blossom. The exhibition runs until September 13, 2015. Corcoran took some time out of his very busy schedule to talk about the exhibition, what made him fall in love with hip-hop and his undying loyalty to New York City.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): Is this the first time the Museum of the City of New York has represented hip-hop culture in this way?
Sean Corcoran: Back in 2006, we did an exhibition called "Black Style Now" that focused on style and that definitely had aspects of hip-hop, but this exhibition is the first time the Museum has done a photography exhibition on hip-hop that specifically looks at four of the foundational elements: DJing, MCing, Breaking and Graffiti. Check out http://www.mcny.org/exhibition/black-style-now or http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/fashion/31black.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 for more info.
Who came up with the idea to bring Martha Cooper, Janette Beckman and Joe Conzo together? Someone has good taste! Did it seem like a no-brainer?
Well, it was actually my idea - so thanks for saying I have good taste! I have admired their work for many years and appreciated each of their distinct perspectives and interests in the culture. Over the past several years, I'd gotten to know each of the photographers much better while working on my last exhibition at the Museum (City as Canvas) and the better I knew them and their work, the more and more the idea of showing just the three of them together made sense. Joe was a kid who was taking pictures of his friends performing, Martha was a documentary photographer interested in kids creatively playing (or dancing) out in the city streets, and a little later Janette was making images for magazines and record companies that were all about the cultures styles and attitudes. They all added something unique to the way we see hip-hop today.
What is your relationship to hip-hop culture?
Growing up in the 1980s, I was someone who admired the photographers and the artists we see on the walls of this exhibition. So I've taken my life long admiration for these photographers and the talented people pictured and represented a New York story - an important piece of New York's recent past, which is what we do here at the Museum of the City of New York.
I saw a picture of you with Cey Adams. What is his involvement in this exhibit? How did you meet him?
I met Cey Adams a few years back while researching the City As Canvas exhibition for the City Museum. As many people probably know, Cey was a train-era graffiti writer and we have some of his early paintings in the collection. He's painting murals again, and making great new paintings these days. He is also longtime friends with Janette Beckman and they collaborated on a series called The Mash-up. Cey and Janette invited some of the best graffiti and streets artists of the past 40 years to pick an image from Janette's archive and paint in their own style. The project includes artists such as Zephyr, Crash, Dr. Revolt, Queen Andrea and Morning Breath. There are twenty works in the series that are all on view in Hip-Hop Revolution.
What are you hoping people take away from this exhibit?
A couple of things actually. First, that hip-hop's origins are a New York story. Obviously, as the City's Museum we are interested in the fact that this culture, a worldwide phenomenon, came from the streets of New York. Hopefully, by looking at the photographs visitors will be able to see hip-hop's beginnings as a grass roots movement. In Joe Conzo's pictures you see the community, the relationship between the performers and their audience. You see the creativity and the energy in Martha's images of B-Boys as the perform on the city streets and later in clubs, and you see the growth and professionalization of the artists in Janette Beckman's photographs. All told, through these three photographer, each with their own unique perspective, you see the maturation of the culture.
Does it make you discouraged when so many young kids seem to have the wrong idea about what hip-hop actually is?
Well, I am a believer in the pillars of hip hop - Djing, MCing, B-boying, and graffiti (many include Knowledge as the 5th pillar). In the last twenty years, the emphasis has been on rapping to the detriment of the other pillars. As a culture, all five aspects are integral and hopefully people will look back and see these roots and investigate the rest of the other pillars.
How did you first get the position with the Museum of the City of New York?
I'm a photo historian. I've studied the history of photography for over twenty years. I love New York City, and as it happens am a major lover of music - and specifically hip hop, so this exhibition is really a labor of love for me.
Who are some of your favorite hip-hop artists?
That is tough. I grew up what many call "the golden era" of hip-hop so I have a deep seeded love for groups like Gang Starr, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim. All were great lyricists with fantastic DJ's. I'll also listen to anything that Doom puts out.
This exhibit runs until September. How many people do you anticipate visiting the museum during this time?
I'm sure more than 100,000 people will see the exhibition. New Yorkers, of course, but also visitors from all over the world and all age ranges!
What has been your favorite part about being involved with Hip-Hop Revolution?
Besides revisiting the music, it has been a joy to work so closely with each of the photographers. To get to know their archive so well, to hear their stories and gain their perspective on not just their work, but the culture and the road it has traveled.
Sean Corcoran talks Hip-Hop Revolution: The RAPstation Interview
In the Beginning
Curator Sean Corcoran Talks Hip-Hop Revolution
By Kyle Eustice
Photo historian Sean Corcoran has been in love with photographs as long as he can remember. As Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Museum of the City of New York, Corcoran has cultivated his passion into a reputable career. Originally from New York's Finger Lakes Region, Kodak was a big part of the economy at the time so he was captivated by photography at a very young age. After graduate school, he secured a job in the curatorial department at the George Eastman House in Rochester. He worked there for seven fruitful years, which allowed him to not only research and study the history of photography, but also afforded him the opportunity to learn the role of a curator. He began as a junior in the department and slowly worked his way up to having his own research projects and exhibitions. He eventually arrived at the Museum of the City of New York in 2006. Corcoran's other passion is music, especially hip-hop so he came up with Hip-Hop Revolution, an exhibition featuring photographers Martha Cooper, Joe Conzo and Janette Beckman. The trifecta of veteran photographers documented hip-hop culture in its entirety as it was beginning to blossom. The exhibition runs until September 13, 2015. Corcoran took some time out of his very busy schedule to talk about the exhibition, what made him fall in love with hip-hop and his undying loyalty to New York City.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): Is this the first time the Museum of the City of New York has represented hip-hop culture in this way?
Sean Corcoran: Back in 2006, we did an exhibition called "Black Style Now" that focused on style and that definitely had aspects of hip-hop, but this exhibition is the first time the Museum has done a photography exhibition on hip-hop that specifically looks at four of the foundational elements: DJing, MCing, Breaking and Graffiti. Check out http://www.mcny.org/exhibition/black-style-now or http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/fashion/31black.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 for more info.
Who came up with the idea to bring Martha Cooper, Janette Beckman and Joe Conzo together? Someone has good taste! Did it seem like a no-brainer?
Well, it was actually my idea - so thanks for saying I have good taste! I have admired their work for many years and appreciated each of their distinct perspectives and interests in the culture. Over the past several years, I'd gotten to know each of the photographers much better while working on my last exhibition at the Museum (City as Canvas) and the better I knew them and their work, the more and more the idea of showing just the three of them together made sense. Joe was a kid who was taking pictures of his friends performing, Martha was a documentary photographer interested in kids creatively playing (or dancing) out in the city streets, and a little later Janette was making images for magazines and record companies that were all about the cultures styles and attitudes. They all added something unique to the way we see hip-hop today.
What is your relationship to hip-hop culture?
Growing up in the 1980s, I was someone who admired the photographers and the artists we see on the walls of this exhibition. So I've taken my life long admiration for these photographers and the talented people pictured and represented a New York story - an important piece of New York's recent past, which is what we do here at the Museum of the City of New York.
I saw a picture of you with Cey Adams. What is his involvement in this exhibit? How did you meet him?
I met Cey Adams a few years back while researching the City As Canvas exhibition for the City Museum. As many people probably know, Cey was a train-era graffiti writer and we have some of his early paintings in the collection. He's painting murals again, and making great new paintings these days. He is also longtime friends with Janette Beckman and they collaborated on a series called The Mash-up. Cey and Janette invited some of the best graffiti and streets artists of the past 40 years to pick an image from Janette's archive and paint in their own style. The project includes artists such as Zephyr, Crash, Dr. Revolt, Queen Andrea and Morning Breath. There are twenty works in the series that are all on view in Hip-Hop Revolution.
What are you hoping people take away from this exhibit?
A couple of things actually. First, that hip-hop's origins are a New York story. Obviously, as the City's Museum we are interested in the fact that this culture, a worldwide phenomenon, came from the streets of New York. Hopefully, by looking at the photographs visitors will be able to see hip-hop's beginnings as a grass roots movement. In Joe Conzo's pictures you see the community, the relationship between the performers and their audience. You see the creativity and the energy in Martha's images of B-Boys as the perform on the city streets and later in clubs, and you see the growth and professionalization of the artists in Janette Beckman's photographs. All told, through these three photographer, each with their own unique perspective, you see the maturation of the culture.
Does it make you discouraged when so many young kids seem to have the wrong idea about what hip-hop actually is?
Well, I am a believer in the pillars of hip hop - Djing, MCing, B-boying, and graffiti (many include Knowledge as the 5th pillar). In the last twenty years, the emphasis has been on rapping to the detriment of the other pillars. As a culture, all five aspects are integral and hopefully people will look back and see these roots and investigate the rest of the other pillars.
How did you first get the position with the Museum of the City of New York?
I'm a photo historian. I've studied the history of photography for over twenty years. I love New York City, and as it happens am a major lover of music - and specifically hip hop, so this exhibition is really a labor of love for me.
Who are some of your favorite hip-hop artists?
That is tough. I grew up what many call "the golden era" of hip-hop so I have a deep seeded love for groups like Gang Starr, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim. All were great lyricists with fantastic DJ's. I'll also listen to anything that Doom puts out.
This exhibit runs until September. How many people do you anticipate visiting the museum during this time?
I'm sure more than 100,000 people will see the exhibition. New Yorkers, of course, but also visitors from all over the world and all age ranges!
What has been your favorite part about being involved with Hip-Hop Revolution?
Besides revisiting the music, it has been a joy to work so closely with each of the photographers. To get to know their archive so well, to hear their stories and gain their perspective on not just their work, but the culture and the road it has traveled.
