Dash Snow and the death of the downtown underground scene
When the young visual artist Dash Snow passed away in July 2009, he took with him a huge part of New York City culture- the downtown underground art scene. A main element of his work dealt with a sort of documentation and exposure of what went on within that particular scene. Depictions of drug use, sex, violence, and art populated his polaroids with a certain raw attitude that could only ring truth and honesty. His work was an insightful look at the harsh reality that comes out of the downtown art clan scene. For those of us not part of that circle but are aware of what beautiful work comes out of it, his photography gives us a behind-the-scenes look into the production and lifestyle of those individuals. Unfortunately, Dash was also laced into the crowd and suffered from drug use which sadly ended his life at the ripe age of 27. Now that he is gone, it is going to be difficult to see what goes on in that subculture until the next brilliant artist decides to do the same but in a different and varying fashion. Here’s a look at some of Dash’s polaroids that make his work so influential.
