In the Instagram world there is so much talk about how to produce a “good” Instagram feed. Do you hire photographers? Do you choose a specific filter? And how do you create and curate your own style? I recently went to Alt Summit in Palm Springs where over 1500 creatives gathered to talk about trends in social media, design and content-creation and where Instagram influencer heroes definitely know who they are and how to reflect their individuality in a sea of millions who are trying to do the same. Whether it be YouTube, Instagram or even the next up and coming medium, everything in the online space seems so fleeting and new that it was a definite reality check to return to Seattle to the opening of the Prince from Minneapolis exhibit at the MoPop and realize that so much of what we know about curating image started long before the arrival of the Iphone. If you are an Instagrammer in Seattle or even if you live here or you’re just traveling here in the next little while (I think the exhibit runs until January 2020) you may want to stop in and see it for yourself. Prince definitely knew how curating an image and creating his own style meant everything for superstardom and ultimately he became one of the most influential artists and creators of our time.
Who was Prince?
If you look at the early images displayed in the MoPop of Prince taken around age 19, it is amazing to see him before he became the Prince we all knew. He was very careful in how he was photographed, even in the early stages of his career and he always worked with photographers. In this exhibit you will see work from Allen Beaulieu, Nancy Bundt, Terry Gydesen, and Robert Whitman who photographed him at different times in his life and as someone who loves to take pictures I was in awe of all of the photos. There are definitely images here that we know very well. And then there are images of Prince smiling and looking pretty vulnerable in his early days of becoming a star. I was very intrigued by a shot of 30 or so test-images where there are two images circled. If smiling or goofy Prince was one of the images he had instead chosen to become it is scary to think how history might have been ever-changed. But Prince chose two images that foreshadow so much of the way he was photographed in later photos and it is so compelling to see the difference between the photos of Prince at 19 and Prince at 25. Before this exhibit I never realized that this larger than life superstar was no taller than 5 foot 2. There are over 50 artifacts in this exhibit including a guitar he played and outfits he wore that give us a closer look at the Prince we all knew from afar.
Prince Fan Art
Another huge part of this exhibit is fan art created because of Prince’s incredible superstardom. My favorite of all the fan art in this exhibit is a crop art image by Lilian Colton who was born in 1911 and it is made out of agricultural products-maybe wild rice or grits. There is also art by Seattle Artist Troy Gua who has created a series of photographs of a miniature Prince figurine in his most iconic outfits in very realistic scenes. I also loved the giant mural that is part of this exhibit too. When I previewed this exhibit the museum was in the process of installing a purple motorcycle that you will be able to sit on and get your photo taken as well.
A visit to the MoPOP
Ultimately a trip to Seattle needs to include a visit to the MoPop at Seattle Center to get a better sense of the history of this city so influenced by music and pop-culture. The museum itself is housed in one of the most unique buildings in the city and it is easy to spend hours wandering through the different exhibits and then grab lunch nearby at the Armory. My guys especially can spend a day in the area dedicated to video games at the MoPop and I like to get their energy out at the playground nearby. I find it incredible that the monorail zooms through this place hundreds of times each day and the Prince from Minneapolis exhibit is just one more reason you might want to pop by and check it out. This exhibit runs until January 2020 in Seattle.
(PS. I attended a press preview of the Prince from Minneapolis exhibit at the MoPOP in Seattle.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)