Founded in 2011, Hardhitta Gallery celebrated its fifth year of existence on January 15th 2016. For its anniversary exhibition 5 Years – Six Artists, gallerist Bene Taschen features gallery artists Arlene Gottfried, Jamel Shabazz, Gregory Bojorquez, Joseph Rodriguez, Miron Zownir, and the painter Oliver Blum, showing a selection of works that has never before been seen in Germany.
Over the course of four years, Hardhitta Gallery held exhibitions in temporary locations in Los Angeles, Berlin, and Cologne, before settling in a permanent gallery space in Cologne’s city center in September 2015. All five fine art photographers are known for their documentary style and their views of lively, gritty, eccentric, as well as melancholic moments in life.
Arlene Gottfried (*1950) is an American photographer who took her first photographs in 1969 during the legendary Woodstock festival. Fascinated by the multifaceted communities she encountered while growing up, Gottfried went on to document the vast diversity of New York City in her photographs.
Gregory Bojorquez (*1972) grew up in East Los Angeles, where he continues to live and work today. He began his career and passion by photographing his friends and neighbors. Bojorquez’s images reflect the diverse communities of his native city, from Hollywood to L.A.’s street gangs.
Joseph Rodriguez (*1951) lives and works in New York. Rodriguez, a former convict and drug addict, found a way out of crime through his passion for photography, as a form of therapy and a way of life. His pictures portray the everyday realities of the people at the heart of his work.
Jamel Shabazz (*1960) grew up in the streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Shabazz takes viewers back in time, capturing the aura of the 80s with the images presented in this exhibition. His pictures depict a time of transition and the emergence of a new lifestyle and culture whose relevance persists today.
Miron Zownir (*1953) has been regarded as one of the most radical contemporary photographers for more than 30 years. He finds his subjects in western metropoles such as Berlin, London, and New York, and in post-communist Eastern Europe. His photographs depict the underbelly of society: drug addicts, homeless, prostitutes, and petty thieves, offering penetrating views into their various subcultures. Zownir lives and works in Berlin.
EXHIBITION
5 years – six artists
From January 16 to March 20th, 2016
Hardhitta Gallery
Hohenzollernring 53
50672 Köln
Germany
http://hardhittagallery.com
