The Ubiquitous Boombox

laluzdejesus.com/boombox/

Back in Episode 6 of the Pod Sequentialism podcast, in discussing how graffiti was so closely associated with Hip Hop culture, Mason and Matt mentioned the Boombox as another pivotal catalyst in the birth of Hip Hop. They also mentioned the that Matt would be curating a boombox exhibition at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. That show, titled Boombox Creators, displays 30 classic boomboxes and a lot of ephemera connected to the boombox and Hip Hop in general.

The fine folks at Hi-Fructose Magazine gave some wonderful coverage to what started as a little boombox vanity project, and the new goal is to get this show into the Brooklyn Museum. Miles Lightwood and Matt Kennedy spent about two years putting this show together, and with some help from Brian Fox and Trevor Baade pulled it off swimmingly. The Boombox Creators Exhibition is the first to focus on the boombox as a fine art object. The idea was to present the notion that the boomboxes themselves are perfect without painting on them or otherwise altering them from the commercially marketed home electronics device that they were originally intended to be. Included are classics like the JVC M-90 and the Sharp HK9000 (which is the only boombox in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution), and a lot of other amazing pieces of machinery. Also included are original, production designs by Richard Culbertson for boomboxes that never went into production.

Throughout the exhibition are info cards dedicated to the designers behind the boomboxes on display and for sale.

The exhibit runs through the holidays, and closes on January 3rd–when there will be a closing party with breakdancers and a bunch of the boomboxes will be tuned to an FM transmitter that will broadcast the mix tape produced specifically for the show (and limited to 100 copies). It's highly recommended that you check out the amazing collection of factory sealed cassette tapes, LPs and photography from the boombox era by Bobby Grossman, Ed Colver, and Lyle Owerko alongside new art pieces by The Panik Collective, Sean Steppanof, and Josh Gardner.

See the installation photos, and come visit the show in person at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, 4633 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027.