Janette Beckman - REBELS: FROM PUNK TO DIOR @ FOTOGRAFISKA NY

[L] Contact sheet from 1987 - Chuck D + Public Enemy // [R] Salt-n-peppa (NYC, 1987)

Despite a cultural burgeoning of NYC in the early 80s, an ethereal energy attracted Janette Beckman to New York's underground Hip hop scene. Armed with a camera and curiosity for photographing people, Beckman spent the better part of 4 decades documenting subcultures from rap and hip hop personalities to LA gangs and illegal girls' fight clubs. Familiar faces, immortalized by Beckman's lens, line the 6th floor  at Fotografiska, NY. Following a 40-year journey photographing musicians to high fashion, Janette Beckman REBELS: From Punk to Dior spotlights 11 key pieces that capture the essence of rebellious youth culture to recent collaborations for Levi's and Dior. Keep reading to see more...

VOGUE, THE ARAB ISSUE @FOTOGRAFISKA

Entry of the 3rd floor exhibit of Hassan Hajjaj's VOGUE, The Arab Issue @Fotografiska NYC

Drawing inspiration from Vogue (think "September Issue"), Hassan Hajjaj assembles "Vogue: The Arab Issue" playing on both the definition of "issue" given the political environment of the Middle East and the seasonal masterpieces published by the world's premier fashion magazine. With no shortage of polka dots, candy-colored coverings and standout pattern-on-pattern, Hajjaj's retrospective at Fotografiska complements his concurrent show at Yossi Milo Gallery. Keep reading for a look inside...

BEHIND THE LENS: AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THE WORLD OF SUITS

A selfie by Patrick J. Adams from Behind the Lens: An Intimate Look at the World of Suits

In front of the camera, Patrick J. Adams assumes the alias of Mike Ross, a stylish lawyer and proxy LSAT test-taker on USA Network's hit legal series SUITS. Yet, behind the scenes, Adams' love of photography amounts to 25 cameras, an active instagram account and now, a 3-day NYC pop-up featuring behind-the-scenes photography on the set of SUITS. Behind the Lens: An Intimate Look at the World of Suits captures the process behind the production. Set in a temporary space on W. 14th St., spotlights shine on 30 photos, each documenting conventional moments over 4 seasons. A selection of the photos are available for auction, with the proceeds benefitting Pablove Shutterbugs. Keep reading for more details... 

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES : JEWELRY & PHOTOGRAPHY @ MAD MUSEUM

Feeding Desire brooch by Mary Hallam Pearse, photo by Walker Montgomery (2008)

Photography is infinitely memorable, potentially wearable and discernibly variable over time. When contemporary artists begin relating jewelry and personal identity, a multifaceted approach to wearable photography emerges. Opening May 13th, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD Museum) introduces a groundbreaking exhibit featuring innovative applications of photography in jewelry. According to MAD Museum's director Glenn Adamson, "Multiple Exposures: Jewelry and Photography offers the first rigorous survey and exploration of the deep and multifaceted relationship between these two mediums."  

BILL CUNNINGHAM: FACADES @ THE NY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

 Editta Sherman on a subway train to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden 1972

Parasols and primly preened ladies fill frames of monochrome as "street style" portraiture takes a theatrical twist. Bill Cunningham: Facades at the New York Historical Society showcases an 8-year project pairing fashion, photography and antique architecture. When a grade school girlfriend suggested we venture uptown this past weekend, I begrudgingly obliged (mostly because brunch was on the agenda!). I entered the exhibit expecting an assemblage of ladies flaunting fashions of the day, under the assumption that 'facades' referenced style as a form of self-expression. Instead, I became acquainted with one man's subtle contribution to his "cause" for preservation. It was interesting to see the premeditated posturing of Cunningham's deliberate documentary.