Polaroids capturing the icons of '80s New York nightlife
- Text by Miss Rosen
- Photography by Maripol
In 1977, young stylist and jewelry designer Maripol and her then-boyfriend Edo Bertoglio moved from Paris to New York. The self-described “new pioneers of a decadent decade” fit right into a city that had been abandoned and left to fend for itself, its denizens revelling in the limitless creativity that freedom often brings.
That December, Bertoglio gave Maripol a Polaroid SX-70 camera for Christmas. Long before digital revolutionised the industry, the Polaroid offered instantaneous results, producing a unique print within minutes.
As art director for Fiorucci, the hottest Italian fashion house of the time, Maripol became a fixture on the scene, collaborating with the likes of Debbie Harry, Grace Jones, Keith Haring, Madonna, Sade, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, who went on to star in Downtown 81, a film she produced and art directed.
Sade
Selfie with Grace Jones
“There was a curiosity towards Polaroid. Everyone wanted to know, ‘What is that?’ It’s not like point a camera with a huge lens like Ron Galella. It was more natural,” Maripol remembers.
“Polaroid was great because the next day you could see the photographs. It’s like an imprint of your memory. Imagine if I had been really drunk and I didn’t remember what I did? Then I have the picture!”
As an artist trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, France, Maripol understood that even “bad” photographs could be transformed into art. “The film was expensive, so if the picture was blurry or the emulsion went bad, I was not going to throw it away,” she says.
Instead, Maripol would paint on her photographs, or cut them up. “Sometimes it was about also pushing the feeling that I had in the moment. If I’m really sad about something, instead of cutting myself I am cutting my face on the Polaroid.”
Robert Latuna
Toukie Smith
Maripol’s alchemical gifts served her well when she founded Maripolitan, an accessory design company, in 1979. She brilliantly repurposed common objects, transforming them into cutting edge trends, like the iconic rubber bracelets made popular by her collaboration with Madonna in the 1980s.
“It was a very free time. Things were less calculated. God, where are those days?” Maripol says.
Though the era has passed, her Polaroids remain as fresh and vibrant as the days and nights they were made. Collected in books which include Maripolarama and Little Red Riding Hood, Maripol’s photographs continue to inspire a new way of seeing the world.
“My photographs are like a journal,” Maripol says, describing the experience of looking back through her archive. “Sometimes, when there are sexy pictures they remind me of the lovers I was with. I see that I enjoyed myself.”
Anya Philips
Maripol selfie
Joey Arias
Follow Miss Rosen on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The art of paying attention: How Austria’s Alps reward slowing down
Lebensgefühl — With a growing movement of art and music rooted in the area’s mountains, trees and waterfalls, the region is showcasing the importance of the human relationship to nature.
Written by: Sophie Lou Wilson
Grainy, yearning memories of Europe’s ’90s free rave heyday
Never Alone — A new photobook from Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi presents pictures they made over seven years while touring the continent as part of the Tekno Mobil Squad soundsystem crew. It archives parties, people and a lifestyle largely consigned to the past.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As Hanoi’s nightlife faces raids & repression, its underground scene modulates
Spaces Between the Beats — Tensions between nightlife and authorities have grown in recent times, as police target venues and their patrons with increasingly frequent drug testing and searches. With clubs becoming hostile spaces as a result, Hanoi’s electronic music community is finding new spaces and forms of expression, reports Martin Guttridge-Hewitt.
Written by: Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
Queer resistance & sun-soaked solidarity at the world’s largest trans pride march
Our Future, Our Fight — Over the weekend, over 150,000 people marched at the London Trans+ Pride, with the parade ending at Trafalgar Square for the first time in history.
Written by: Ella Glossop
In photos: Black Texas life since emancipation
Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
American Football: The One With The Feelings
Many moons — The Midwest emo architects transformed a college experiment into a coming-of-age soundtrack. 25 years on, their latest iteration sees them bottle the same magic for the ups and downs of middle life.
Written by: Tracy Kawalik
