It’s not long ago that skateboarding was ostracized by both the media and many of the brands that now cater to its community, having first dismissed it as an outsider sport for those on the periphery. From the 1980s till roughly the turn of the century, however, cultural luminaries from hip hop and skate circles forged a new paradigm within the yet-to-be-coined world of streetwear, setting the stage for where the pulse of culture is today. Having helped shape this rise, American director, designer and photographer Jacob Rosenberg has been instrumental in cultivating the visual expression that has now turned legend for some of skateboarding’s most legendary imprints and figures.
As a mainstay within the skate community since its founding in 2006, Los Angeles’s HVW8 gallery will showcase a selection of work from Rosenberg’s archives, including screenshots, 16mm film scans, reprinted web and print articles and loads of never-before-seen ephemera. Chronicling superstardom at its roots, the exhibition features seminal figures, from Mike Carroll, Del the Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief to De La Soul, Chuck D and more, capturing the raw intensity that has since seeped its way into an array of creative disciplines.
The exhibition will be accompanied by two books documenting the show, including a linen-bound collectors edition, limited to 143 signed copies, that is available online and at the gallery for $200 USD. PLAN B TO HIERO will open at HVW8 on November 22 and run through January 20, 2025.
HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
