East and West unite for a homage to the Boombox | Lyle Owerko at XOYO and Whisper | December 1st 2011
Whisper Fine Art and XOYO feature The Boombox Project by Lyle Owerko, an east meets west exhibition, united in a look at a vibrant old‐school icon, featuring contemporary fine art portraits of an array of vintage boomboxes.
Lyle Owerko is a New York based filmmaker and photographer who has directed music videos for artists such as Rufus Wainwright and American HI‐FI. He also shot the cover for the September 11, 2001 issue of Time, which was ranked as one of the most important magazine covers in the past 40 years by the American Society Of Magazine Editors.
The show subject is particularly close to Owerko’s heart. While in Tokyo in 2001, he found a mint condition late‐seventies Victor JVC at an outdoor market. Already a collector, his hunt began for more rare and obscure models. Beloved by rappers, b‐boys and dancers alike, the Boombox reminds us of when music was a collective experience and the street was a club. Owerko spent years collecting and photographing a remarkable set of vintage Boomboxes, resulting in an arresting, unexpected photo series of these cult objects, all of which have been documented in his book, The Boombox Project: The Machines, The Music, and The Urban Underground, featuring a introduction by Spike Lee. This is the first time the full exhibition will be on public display in the UK.
The private view for the launch of The Boombox Project at XOYO on Thursday 1st December will see a selection of Owerko’s Boombox prints displayed and will feature a DJ set from Don Letts and a one‐off London gig from Brooklyn based ‘Art Rap/Freak Folk/World Music’ duo Das Racist.
The Boombox Project will be on public view at XOYO from 2nd December until 15th January 2012. A second private view will take place at Whisper on Thursday 8th December And will also feature a DJ set from Don Letts, the exhibition will also continue there until 15th January 2012.
All 27 prints in the photo series will be on display across both locations. Lyle Owerko’s prints will be displayed in a range of sizes at Whisper and XOYO, from 16 x 20 inches to 60 x 89 inches. All prints on display will be available in limited numbers to purchase at Whisper and XOYO and online at www.whisperfineart.co.uk, with prices starting from £600.00.
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