PHOTO EXHIBITION

Artists: Nick Bassett & Conan Whitehouse

Photographs capture the image but the artist captures the soul. Looking straight down the lens for Platform 3 Hip Hip Festival, two artists, Nick Bassett and Conan Whitehouse present their versions of pure hip hop culture, the personalities and energy that create and inspire it.

Nick Bassett is a Sydney based photographer who has a passion for Hip Hop. His ICONS series is made up of portraits taken for magazines as well as portraits borne of his particular passion for the subject’s work.  He says, ‘being a fan of many of the 'golden era' artists and pioneers of hip hop, who represented a very different attitude towards the culture, I'm keen to take it back to the true meaning of hip hop culture, a true form of expression.."

Nick has loads of great stories. Here’s one: "One of these shots is of Dj Red Alert, who I ran into while I was walking around Harlem one day. Straight away I went up and introduced myself and he was really surprised, but really honoured that a young guy from Sydney even knew who he was. From that point on he did everything he could to help me and we got along really well."

Conan Whitehouse is a B-boy turned documentary photographer. He turned to the camera to capture hip hop culture after sustaining an injury. He believes that Australian Hip Hop culture should be preserved, so that the evolution of the movement can be observed and understood in generations to come.
His ethic and photos are so successful that he is now the Official Photographer for the B-Boy World Championships. He says, “I have a massive amount of respect for the dance and of the mentality and musicality involved and I hope this is reflected in my work.”

Conan: “B-boying is a global phenomenon, and to be a true B-boy is to do so for life, whether actively dancing or not, and these photos are my way of honouring the timeless nature of the B-boy.”