Polaroids capturing the icons of '80s New York nightlife

Maripol in conversation — Photographer Maripol reflects on NYC's vibrant downtown club scene, where she shot everyone from Debbie Harry, to Grace Jones, to Madonna and Sade.

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.

 


Ad

Latest on Huck

Red shop frontage with "Open Out" branding and appointment-only signage.
Activism

Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims

Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Cyclists racing past Palestinian flag, yellow barriers, and spectators.
Sport

Gazan amputees secure Para-Cycling World Championships qualification

Gaza Sunbirds — Alaa al-Dali and Mohamed Asfour earned Palestine’s first-ever top-20 finish at the Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium over the weekend.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge
Music

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Weathered wooden building with a tall spire, person on horseback in foreground.
Culture

Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South

Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A collage depicting a giant flup for mankind, with an image of the Earth surrounded by planets and people in sci-fi costumes.
Culture

Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind

Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.

Written by: Emma Garland

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Katie Goh

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.