Barron Claiborne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barron Claiborne
|
|
|---|---|
Barron Claiborne in Los Angeles 2019. Photo by Ithaka Darin Pappas
|
|
| Born | 1967 (age 57–58) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Photography |
Barron Claiborne, born in 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 with famous photographers like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. His main photography teacher was Gordon Parks, a very respected artist.
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 took photos for album covers like Tricky's Angels with Dirty Faces.
Contents
Where His Art Is Shown
Barron Claiborne's beautiful art is kept in important collections around the world. These are called "permanent collections" because the art stays there forever. You can find his work at the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His photos are also at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and MoCADA.
His art has been shown in special exhibits in places like Paris and at Art Basel. In 2012, he received a special grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. The next year, he got another grant from Creative Time, which helps artists create new projects.
"The King of New York" Photo
One of Barron Claiborne's most famous photos is called "The King of New York." It shows the rapper The Notorious B.I.G wearing a plastic gold crown. The picture was taken in Claiborne's studio in New York in March 1997. This was only three days before the rapper passed away.
This photo is very important in the world of urban music. It's one of many pictures taken during that photo 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 Exhibit and the Crown
In 2019, an exhibit based on the Contact High book was held. It was at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. A whole section was set up just for "The King of New York" photo session. It showed a large print of the main picture. There were also two enlarged contact prints, which are like big versions of the original film.
A small screen played one of The Notorious B.I.G's music videos. The most interesting part was the actual plastic crown used in the photo. Claiborne had bought it for only six dollars. It was displayed in a glass case, making it look like a real treasure.
Vikki Tobak, who created the Contact High exhibit, called the "King of New York" image "the Mona Lisa of hip hop." She said it is a defining photo when you think of Biggie.
The Crown's Auction
On September 15, 2020, the plastic crown from the photo shoot was sold at an auction. This happened at Sotheby's in New York City. The crown was part of a special collection of hip-hop items. It sold for a surprising $594,750!
Claiborne had bought two crowns for the photo shoot. He found that both were too small for Biggie's head. He managed to use one by taking out its foam padding. Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was Biggie's record label CEO, was also at the photo session. Combs worried the photos might make Biggie look like an ad for a fast-food restaurant. But both Mr. Claiborne and Biggie Smalls decided to go ahead with the pictures anyway.
Solo Art Shows
- 2018 – Barron Claiborne Illuminados (Santos Negros) "The Luminous Black Saints"
- 2019 – Bishop Gallery - Bedford-Stuyvesant
Group Art Shows
- 2001 – Brooklyn Museum of Art "Body and Soul"
Books Featuring His Work
- Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop (1993, Clarkson Potter)
