Barron Claiborne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barron Claiborne
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Barron Claiborne in Los Angeles 2019. Photo by Ithaka Darin Pappas
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| Born | 1967 (age 57–58) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Photography |
Barron Claiborne (born 1967) is an American photographer and cinematographer. He grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and started taking pictures when he was just ten years old. In 1989, he moved to New York City. There, he worked as an assistant to famous photographers like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. His main photography teacher and mentor was Gordon Parks.
Barron Claiborne is well-known for his amazing portraits of musicians. His photos have appeared in many magazines and on album covers. For example, his picture of DJ Khaled was on the cover of Paper magazine in September 2016. He also shot the covers for albums like Tricky's Angels With Dirty Faces and N'Dea Davenport 's Bring It On.
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Barron Claiborne's Art in Museums
Barron Claiborne's beautiful art photos are part of permanent collections in museums all over the world. This means his work is kept and displayed there for everyone to see. Some of these museums include the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
His work has also been shown in special art shows in places like Paris, Martha's Vineyard, and at Art Basel. In 2012, he received a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. The next year, he got another grant from Creative Time, which helped him create more art.
The Iconic "King of New York" Photo
One of Barron Claiborne's most famous works is a series of portraits of the rapper The Notorious B.I.G. In these pictures, the rapper wears a plastic gold crown against a deep red background. Claiborne took these photos in his New York studio in March 1997. Sadly, The Notorious B.I.G. passed away unexpectedly just three days after this photoshoot.
The most recognized image from this series is called "The King of New York." It's one of many photos taken during that session. Most of the other photos from that day were not seen by the public until 2018. They were included in a book called Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop.
"The King of New York" Exhibit
In 2019, an exhibit based on the Contact High book was held at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. A whole display was created just for "The King of New York" photo session. This exhibit featured a large print of the main photo. It also showed one of The Notorious B.I.G.'s music videos on a screen. You could also see enlarged contact prints from the session.
What was really special was seeing the actual two-dollar plastic crown that Claiborne bought for the photoshoot. It was displayed in a glass case, making it look like a real treasure!
The Crown's Value
In 2019, the creator of the Contact High exhibit, Vikki Tobak, called "The King of New York" image "the Mona Lisa of hip hop." She added that it's a defining photo when you think of Biggie.
On September 15, 2020, the plastic crown used in the photoshoot was sold at an auction. This auction was held at Sotheby's in New York City and featured a collection of hip hop items. The crown, which Claiborne originally bought for six dollars, sold for an amazing $594,750!
Behind the Scenes of the Photoshoot
The famous photoshoot with the crown was done for Rap Pages magazine. Barron Claiborne had bought two crowns before The Notorious B.I.G. arrived. However, both crowns were a bit too small for the rapper's head. Claiborne managed to make one fit by removing its foam padding.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was the CEO of Bad Boy Records at the time, was also at the photoshoot. He was worried that the pictures might make the rapper look like an advertisement for a fast-food restaurant. But both Mr. Claiborne and Biggie Smalls decided to go ahead with the pictures anyway. They believed in the artistic vision for the photos.
Barron Claiborne's Exhibitions
Barron Claiborne's work has been featured in many art shows.
Solo Shows
- 2018 – Barron Claiborne Illuminados (Santos Negros) "The Luminous Black Saints" (Curated By Rebecca Pietri)
- 2019 – Bishop Gallery - Bedford-Stuyvesant
Group Shows
- 2001 – Brooklyn Museum Of Art "Body and Soul" (Curated by Barbara Head Millstein)
Books Featuring His Work
- Contact High: A Visual History Of Hip Hop (1993, Clarkson Potter)
