Dirty Dancing: How rappers hang out in Atlanta strip clubs
Most photographers are not allowed to take pictures of what is happening in strip clubs or capture daily hangouts with girls. But photographer Ivar Wigan — perhaps because of his courtesy and Scottish charm — is always a welcome guest at parties.
Ivar's photo series, called The Gods, is dedicated to the culture of the hip-hop community of the south of the USA. Taking pictures mainly in Atlanta, New Orleans and Miami, Ivar creates provocative photographs, demonstrating street culture from such a point of view that it looks intimate and admiring.
Wigan was born in Scotland and grew up in London. His insatiable passion for photography can be characterized by a quote from Susan Sontag's book "About Photography": "A photographer is an armed kind of lonely reveler, scouting, stalking, wandering through the city hell — an idle spy, he discovers the city as an arena of luxurious extremes. An avid observer, skilled in sensitivity, flaneur finds the world picturesque."
Ivar: The main theme of my photo series is the life of representatives of hip—hop culture, and strip clubs are the main place for their meetings and hangouts, for them it is like a kind of temple. A lot of interesting actions unfold behind their doors. This is a place where everyone wants to get to a party, where all the rappers perform with their new songs, where fashionable DJs put their fresh tracks.
For some girls, starting dancing in a strip club is almost the main goal in life: not only can they easily earn 5 thousand dollars per night, but also many guys tend to date them, because it is considered cool when you are seen with one of these girls.
This is quite interesting to hear, because in many cities quite bad stereotypes about girls who undress for money are still common. Yes, I agree, but I haven't heard anything like that from anyone in Atlanta. Although, of course, Atlanta is different from many cities in the world. I grew up in Britain, where strip clubs are considered a really dirty place where old people occasionally go to satisfy their erotic fantasies. But it's not like that in Atlanta, everyone goes to strip clubs there: couples, groups of girls, I even met a pastor once. Many come to watch football or basketball, some come to eat.
The main characters of your photo series — representatives of hip-hop culture — look somehow heroic, almost divine. Yes, it is. I'm trying to elevate the characters you see in courtyards and playgrounds to the status of idols. My goal is to make beautiful pictures that the heroes of my photos will love.
Hence the name of the series The Gods ("Gods")? Yes, but it's such street slang. This word refers to those "old men" who have been through prison and other difficulties, energetic veterans of street life. Many youngsters look at them with admiration and say about them: "Gods!"
And what prompted you to come to the USA and photograph the life of this specific community, and not to shoot, for example, some similar hangouts in Scotland? I think that many photographers put themselves in an unusual atmosphere or in situations that may be unfamiliar to them in order to see the world in a new way and get rid of the conventions that accompany them from birth in their native cultures.
Keywords: Atlanta | Striptease | Dancing | Party | Street fashion | Hip hop