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Ricky Powell

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Ricky Powell
Powell at the opening of Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop in New York City, 2020
Born(1961-11-20)November 20, 1961
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 1, 2021(2021-02-01) (aged 59)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPhotographer
Years active1985–2021
Powell (center) with two of the three Beastie Boys, MCA (left) and Mike D (right)

Ricky Powell (November 20, 1961 – February 1, 2021) was an American photographer who documented popular culture including hip hop, punk rock, graffiti, and pop art. His photographs have been featured in The New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News, The Village Voice, TIME, Newsweek, VIBE, The Source, Rolling Stone,[1] among other publications.[2] His photographs included candid portraits of artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Madonna, in addition to many other popular culture artists and other common people. His photographs were included in the books The Rap Photography of Ricky Powell! (1998), The Rickford Files: Classic New York Photographs (2000), Frozade Moments: Classic Street Photography of Ricky Powell (2004), and Public Access: Ricky Powell Photographs (2005) and were exhibited both domestically and internationally.

He toured with American hip-hop group Beastie Boys photographing their performances and occasionally appearing in their videos.

Early life

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Powell was born on November 20, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York City.[3] His mother, Ruth Powell, was a school teacher and did not know who his father was. It is noted that his mother was a frequent visitor to downtown clubs and would have Powell accompany her as a child. He grew up in Greenwich Village while spending two years between 1973 and 1975 living in the Upper West Side. Powell attended PS 41 with Rachael Horovitz, sister to Adam Horovitz, later known as Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys.[4]

Powell graduated with an AA in Liberal Arts from LaGuardia Community College and a B.S. in Physical Education from Hunter College.[3]

Career

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Powell started out by selling Frozade (lemon ice drink) in the streets of New York City after graduating from college. During this time he started photography as a hobby, taking pictures of friends and family.[3] He credits a break-up with a girlfriend in 1985 with his taking up photography as a serious vocation.[5] During this time he photographed artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol in the streets of New York City.[3]

Beastie Boys

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In 1986, Powell quit his job and tagged along with Beastie Boys on their Run-DMC's Raising Hell tour.[6] Some of the photographs that he took while on tour became significant, and Powell gained fame, becoming the unofficial "fourth Beastie Boy".[7][8] He toured with the group as Def Jam Records' de facto in-house photographer[9] on their Licensed to Ill tour in 1987 and Together Forever: Greatest Hits 1983–1991 tour with Run DMC and then again in 1992 on their Check Your Head tour and the 1994 Lollapalooza.[10] Powell is mentioned by name in the song "Car Thief" on the Paul's Boutique album, with the lyrics: "Homeboy throw in the towel, Your girl got dicked by Ricky Powell."[11] After being by the group's side for over a decade, he separated in 1995 as the group was changing their style moving away from a rowdy tenor from their early days. Powell would say in a documentary that the group matured, while he continued to remain his old self.[3]

Powell maintained a positive relationship with the Beastie Boys, including photographing them for Interview magazine in 2011.[12][13]

Television

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Powell was the host of the public-access television show, Rappin' With the Rickster from 1990 to 1996. In the show, he interviewed Russell Simmons, Doug E Fresh, Harold Hunter, Kool Keith, Rahzel, Laurence Fishburne, and Cypress Hill.[14] He became the face of New York City's downtown party scene, connected to both musical and visual artists such as Sonic Youth, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Russell Simmons, Harold Hunter, Dondi White, and Sofia Coppola.[6] He gave insights into the artistic phenomena of the day, with a combination of candid footage, impromptu interviews, and a vision of Powell's New York City.[15] Powell considered the show "a time capsule of someone growing up in Manhattan during that era and being around the music scene".[6]

A DVD of Rappin' With the Rickster, released in 2010, was declared a must-have by Juxtapoz.[16]

Books

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Powell and paparazzo Ron Galella in 2010

Powell's first book, The Rap Photography of Ricky Powell! (1998) was a ten-year retrospective of photographs of rap and hip hop artists. The book consisted of 88 photographs including 53 in color.[17] The Rickford Files: Classic New York Photographs (2000), his second book featured what he considered "the real New York", beyond the tourist glaze of Times Square and the deteriorating Greenwich Village.[18]

Frozade Moments: Classic Street Photography of Ricky Powell (2004) was a book of postcards consisting of candid snapshots of celebrities, local luminaries, and low-lifes that offer a view of New York City. The celebrities featured included Madonna, Jam Master Jay, KRS-One, Frankie Crocker, Andy Warhol and Flavor Flav.[19]

Public Access: Ricky Powell Photographs 1985–2005 (2005) included two decades of documenting much of the early era of hip-hop and presenting the actors, musicians, performers, and artists that inspired him, including Method Man, Doze Green, Bill Adler, Slick Rick, Run-DMC, Eric B & Rakim, Keith Haring, Steven Tyler, Barbara Walters, Cindy Crawford, Eazy-E, and Fab Five Freddy. These photographs are distributed amongst graffiti splattered renderings by Lee Quiñones, Ron Galella, Ron English, and others. Powell attempted to bring in a nostalgic feel to New York City with appearances from Zephyr, Charlie Ahearn, Glenn O'Brien, and Zoe Cassavetes.[20]

He was the central character in Ricky Powell: The Individualist (2017), by Bill Adler, and Nemo Librizzi, who documented Powell's work as a street photographer capturing the intersection of popular culture movements including hip-hop, pop art, graffiti, and punk rock. The book included portraits of artists including Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Keith Haring in addition to common people.[21]

Documentary

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Powell was the subject of the 2020 documentary film, Ricky Powell: The Individualist, which captures his career and life with celebrities. It is directed by Josh Swade and written by Christopher McGlynn and Swade.[22]

Exhibitions

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Powell's works were featured both domestically and internationally in solo and group exhibitions.[3] Frozade Moments, 1985–2003 ran at Bill Adler's Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery in New York City from July through September 2003.[23] Public Access: Ricky Powell Photographs 1985–2005 was exhibited at the colette in Paris, the powerHouse Gallery in New York City, Milk Bar in San Francisco, and Lab 101 Gallery in Los Angeles.[24] His photographs and his street style were exhibited at Brave Art, Whistler in 2006.[25] The Ricky Powell Art Funk Explosion! was shown at Sacred Gallery New York City in December 2010, along with Powell's guest curation of Frank Chapter 43: Bug Out!, which highlights his photographs and interviews with street artists.[26] His slideshow at New York City's All Tomorrow's Parties music festival was reported on by Billboard.[27]

Group exhibitions

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Powell's hip hop images (along with works by artists Janette Beckman, Barron Claiborne and Danny Clinch, appeared in the collective photography book Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop (written/curated by Vikki Tobak) and its subsequent series of large scale traveling group exhibitions which has included The Annenberg Space for Photography (Los Angeles), International Center of Photography (New York) and Abu Dhabi at Manarat Al Saadiyat (United Arab Emirates).[28][29][30]

Powell considered the relationship between the photographer and the photograph to be "a chemical connection of some sort".[31] Later in life, he was more likely to "photograph strangers in his Greenwich Village neighborhood than multi platinum hip-hop acts and Downtown art stars".[31]

Death

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Powell died on February 1, 2021.[32] A statement from his manager confirmed his death from heart failure at 59.

References

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  1. ^ "Beastie Boys". Rolling Stone. September 2011. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  2. ^ Loughlin (December 21, 2009). "Snappin' With the Rickster". Choice Cuts. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Caramanica, Jon (February 3, 2021). "Ricky Powell, 59, Dies; Chronicled Early Hip-Hop and Downtown New York". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "RICKY POWELL: The Individualist aka Lazy Hustler became a photographer to piss off his ex-girlfriend". YouTube. January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Video: Ricky Powell on Street Photography". The New Yorker. January 7, 2011. Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Mlynar, Phillip (March 29, 2010). "Ricky Powell's Official Guide to Rappin' With The Rickster, His Legendary '90s Public Access TV Show". Village Voice. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  7. ^ Blistein, Jon (February 2, 2021). "Ricky Powell, Celebrated Hip-Hop Photographer and 'Fourth Beastie Boy,' Dead at 59". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Pearis, Bill (February 1, 2021). "Ricky Powell, photographer and "Fourth Beastie Boy," dead at 59". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  9. ^ Adams, Erik (July 18, 2011). "Photographer Ricky Powell". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  10. ^ Denver, Nate. "Access Granted." Mass Appeal, Issue 35: 63–66. Print
  11. ^ Diehl, Matt (August 2011). "Beastie Boys' Original 'Fight For Your Right' Revisited: Meet Ricky Powell". Interview magazine. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  12. ^ Montgomery, James (April 20, 2011). "Beastie Boys". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  13. ^ "Beastie Boys". Interview Magazine. July 12, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Penalty, Jeff. "A Slice of Life with Ricky Powell: Rappin' with the Rickster." Swindle, Issue 3: 50–53. Print
  15. ^ "Chapter 43: Bug Out!". Frank151. Winter 2010. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  16. ^ The Citrus Report (August 4, 2010). ""RAPPIN WITH THE RICKSTER," NOW ON DVD, NOW A MUST-HAVE". Juxtapoz Magazine. Retrieved September 6, 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ Powell, Ricky (March 15, 1998). Oh Snap!: The Rap Photography of Ricky Powell. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-18149-9. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  18. ^ Powell, Ricky (2000). The Rickford Files: Classic New York Photographs. St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-24322-7. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  19. ^ Frozade Moments: Classic Street Photography of Ricky Powell. eyejammie books. January 2005. ISBN 9780975366905.
  20. ^ Warren, Tamara. "Public Access." Anthem, Issue 18: 34. Print
  21. ^ Adler, Bill; Librizzi, Nemo (2017). Ricky Powell: The Individualist. Gingko Press. ISBN 978-1-58423-663-4. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  22. ^ "RICKY POWELL: THE INDIVIDUALIST". TribecaFilm. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  23. ^ See "Fete Work: Gadfly-shutterbug Ricky Powell has a career retrospective," by Margeaux Watson, Time Out New York, August 7, 2003.
  24. ^ Books, powerHouse (September 12, 2005). "Public Access: Ricky Powell Photographs 1985–2005". powerHouse Books. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  25. ^ News, Whistler (April 13, 2006). "Whistler Ski and Snowboard Festival News". Whistler Outfitters. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2011. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ AJ the Barber (November 20, 2010). "Frank151 Presents Chapter 43: Bug Out! and The Ricky Powell Art Funk Explosion!". A Lesser Evil New York. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  27. ^ Comer, M. Tye (September 7, 2010). "ATP NY 2010: 10 Reasons It Rocked". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  28. ^ "Contact High: History of Hip-Hop Exhibition is Coming to Abu Dhabi". Man.vogue.me. December 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Contact High". Blessthisstuff.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "The Most Iconic Photographs in Hip-Hop: Opening Night at 'Contact High'". www.lataco.com. 2019. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  31. ^ a b Weisman, Daniel (February 25, 2007). "Video: Ricky Powell". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  32. ^ Caramanica, Jon (February 3, 2021). "Ricky Powell, 59, Dies; Chronicled Early Hip-Hop and Downtown New York". The New York Times.
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