Dennis Manuel: The Eye of AFROPUNK

February 4 to March 14, 2021

"Dennis Manuel: The Eye of AFROPUNK": an exploration into the realm of AFROPUNK through the lens of Dennis Manuel.

Award-winning photographer Dennis Manuel has been capturing Black performance art for over 20 years as a freelancer for national media outlets and NY performance venues. He also serves as the official Afropunk photographer, "Dennis Manuel: The Eye of AFROPUNK" presents a look into the celebration of Blackness found within the realm of Afropunk’s eclectic stage performances, inclusive crowd, and groundbreaking expressionism.

Since 2005, AFROPUNK festivals have served to provide a safe space for embracing alternative Black culture. Followers of their “No Sexism, No Racism, No Ableism, No Ageism, No Homophobia, No Fatphobia, No Transphobia, No Hatefulness” mantra have allowed the Afropunk movement to spread and unite a worldwide audience for social change. With annual festivals appearing in New York, Atlanta, London, Paris, and Johannesburg (South Africa). Dennis Manuel has captured the explosion of expressing alternative Black realities found within the AFROPUNK movement as it continues to diverge a lane for historical black representation to be made.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH is a celebration of African-American contributions to American society and their contributions to the international community. AFROPUNK as an institution challenges all to conceive new ways of Black thought and action, formulating new orginal paths that diverge from the old into the NOW. The primary focus of AFROPUNK is to celebrate and create a safe space for eccentric people of color who express themselves through punk/rock music and style. However, the festival has broadened to accommodate a larger, more inclusive audience: lovers of neo soul, Afrofuturism, reggae punk, trap jazz, alternative R&B, and a multitude of other music genres along with cultural groups.

Hampton Art Lovers present this photo exhibit for Black History Month because AFROPUNK gives us the opportunity to step away from everyday society and enter a completely different world. A community that celebrates and promotes love, acceptance, freedom, individuality, art, expression, and music regardless of your background.

AFROPUNK redefines what it means to be Black and exposing the diversity of the African-American community. Not all Black people are into hip-hop, rap, graffiti, gangster images—concepts mass media has continuously pushed as the Black norm. African-Americans can be into the arts, rock, metal, bluegrass, folk dancing, and futurism. They can involve themselves in bohemian culture and style. The point is to normalize subgroups and to defy race-based generalizations, so NEW Black History can emerge celebrating the FREEDOM to BE.

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COVID 19 restrictions will be strictly enforced with temperature tests upon entry, masks and social distancing.

RSVP:

hamptonartlovers.eventbrite.com

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