An Interesting Comparison
…hip hop vs. the 16th century!
Left: Perugia Altarpiece left panel by Fra Angelico, 1437 / Right: Kanye West and Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr at Kim & Kanye’s wedding. May 24, 2014 Florence Italy
Now, we’ve all seen the trendy tumblr sites documenting a new breed of hipster, or outing men for taking up too much room on the underground, but I think I’ve found one that’s worthy of our time. Similar to Beyoncé Art History, B4-XVI is linking the worlds of art history and hip hop. B4-XVI or Before 16’s mission is to “highlight an invisible conversation between hip hop and art before the 16th century.” Curated by digital artist Cecilia Azcarate, the images are make for truly fascinating comparisons.
Left: Detail of “The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence,” oil on wood, by Masters of the Acts of Mercy (Austrian, Salzburg, c. 1465) Right: ASAP Ferg
I am always fascinated when someone makes a connection in visual imagery such as this. Canadian comedian/blogger Kelly Oxford made an astute observation over the holiday regarding Ferris Bueller and Home Alone – it almost blew my mind! Maybe I am just jealous that I’ve never managed to come to a conclusion such as this on my own. We are a culture that tends to recycle, but I guess work like this is bound to pop up eventually. We have been making images for thousands of years now. Any thoughts on this?
Left: Henry VIII by the studio of Hans Holbein the Younger, 1540-1550 / Right: Rick Ross
Keep up with Azcarate’s comparison musings on Tumblr here, or follow her on Twitter here.
