Photographed by Ari Marcopoulos

All photos for the Paul Rodriguez slide show were shot by Ari Marcopoulos.

Photographer Ari Marcopoulos immerses himself completely in the individuals, personalities, visionaries and scenes he photographs.

Originally from the Netherlands, Marcopoulos came to New York City in 1979 where he printed photographs for Andy Warhol. He immediately became involved in the art and music scenes of the time. His rarely published photographs of Jean-Michel Basquiat from this period are perhaps the most intimate photographs taken of the artist.

The first book of his work, Portraits from the Studio and the Street, was published in 1988. At this time Marcopoulos turned his attention to New York’s vibrant hip-hop scene, becoming friendly with and photographing popular artists such as Fab 5 Freddy and Run-DMC. His photographs were used for the cover of the seminal Beastie Boys’ album Ill Communication.

In addition, Marcopoulos has directed numerous short films and exhibited work worldwide, including within the collections of The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Marcopoulos currently lives in Sonoma, California.