Monday, March 16, 2015

Youth, Culture or Connection?


August 8, 2010 · 
 


hat & suspenders modeled
©2010 Peter Salama. All Rights Reserved


Startling! With so many successful photographers obsessed with posturing, and abstraction and pretense for the sake of pretense I'd forgotten there were photographers able to take pictures of the truly hip: a cool cat, a hip stylish sista with cool collected thoughts circulating in the coquette of her eyes. Until now I'd lost that memory. This is memorable for me. It stands out in a time when the most unhip people are showing up in cities calling themselves 'hip' who are far removed from what hip is. 

In all the decades of hip cats, and their women one distinction they held was where and how they fit with their city's memories and contributed to the dynamic of their city's stream of consciousness. Hip cats not involved in crime were directing in the way of youth older and more conservative types towards freshness and re-engagement with the young of their community or at times with their own youth. Because 'youth' doesn't die but transforms hip cats, unbeknownst to them, kept that spark active in the cities they engaged life. 

Today's so-called hipster, more hamster like, are isolated, huddled lacking the skill set to engage people of color, and uncomfortable with eye contact they simply bring property values up, and herd their children if they have children. More distressing is their propensity towards isolation that aggravates even the most tolerant of the older set. They are good for outdoor cafes, not festivals, at least not in Washington DC.   

Enough of that. Peter, I appreciate what you captured and reminded me of about urban life, and the cool of and the dare of being hip, fit and young. ~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 2.16.15


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