„Hip hop is widely accepted as influencing just about every facet of life — ideas, fashion, visual language in general. Against this backdrop, Jonathan Mannion stands out as one of the most acclaimed portrait photographers and a singular sensation within the world of hip-hop. Mannion’s 25-year career includes over of 300 album covers ranging from Jay-Z to Aaliyah to D.J. Khaled, notable advertising campaigns including Beats by Dre’s “Straight Outta _____”, Cadillac, and Hennessy, and editorial work for The Fader, Vibe Magazine, and Complex. Jonathan has photographed over 500 of the most important rappers, actors, athletes, artists, designers, and tastemakers of his era.
The exhibition LIVING PROOF curated by Lukas Feireiss at STUDIOLO BERLIN during the BERLIN PHOTO WEEK 2019 offers insight into the making of some of the most iconic imagery of Jonathan Mannion through his contact sheets. The exhibition reveals how he captured and edited his shots from the 1990s to the present. The proof or contact sheet, a direct print of a roll or sequence of negatives, is the photographer’s first look at what he has captured on film, and provides a uniquely intimate glimpse into his working process. It records each step en route to arriving at an image—providing a rare behind-the-scenes sense of walking alongside the photographer and seeing through his eyes.“ STUDIOLO BERLIN
Client: STUDIOLO Berlin
Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Matthias Maercks
