She’s captured some of Australian hip hop’s biggest names in her lens, and now this Melbourne-based photographer is capturing the country’s genre elite into book pages.
Having shot everyone from the likes of Drapht, Seth Sentry, Pez, and Illy, photographer Michelle Grace Hunder is prepping what is set to be an unprecedented visual tome of Aussie hip hop that doubly chronicles the immense growth of the scene Down Under, in a coffee table style book aptly tilted Rise.
Featuring over 100 original images shot by the Melbournite, snapped over two years and taken at studios and stages, Rise features a full spectrum of the scene, from established artists like Elefant Traks co-founder Urthboy through to the new wave artists like Remi, Allday, and Spit Syndicate, as well as Eminem-collabing producer M-Phazes, Triple J host-come-musician Hau Latukefu, and many more.
(Grey Ghost & Mantra. Image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Source: Pozible)
(Pez. Image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Source: Pozible)
But Hunder was only able to build up her fascinating portrait portfolio thanks to the financial support of crowdfunding, launching a Pozible campaign to independently self-fund the dream of compiling her work into a book, an idea that germinated from a photo shoot with Melbourne MCs Mantra and Grey Ghost.
“The topic came up of what I would do with this body of work I was accumulating,” writes the shutterbug on her Pozible page. “I thought perhaps an exhibition, but they felt maybe that had been done before. They suggested perhaps I should look into producing a book, but not just on Melbourne artists, actually extending it to the entire Australian Hip Hop Scene. Nothing like this has been done to date.”
Working in collaboration with artist manager Nate Flagrant (who represents M-Phazes and Cam Bluff) to aid her immense photography project, Gunder hit the road with a who’s who list of Aussie hip hop.
“Since that time I have been travelling tirelessly, shooting interstate as well as working with artists when they travel to Melbourne,” she explains. “I hope to have finished shooting this project by the end of January, at which time I plan to put the book into immediate production and in turn start distribution.”
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As is usually the case with crowdfunding, Hunder hasn’t forgotten the bevy of unique rewards for those that pledge towards Rise, including signed copies of the book (from $100), limited edition prints of select photographs (from $150), and even a personal photo shoot with Hunder for pledges of $500 or more.
But the biggest treat for hip hop fans is an exclusive ticket to a one-night-only fundraising show, to be held at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on 5th December, featuring many of the hip hop all-stars whose images are captured in Rise.
The lineup features Seth Sentry, Mantra, Greyghost, Diafrix, Briggs, Dialectrix, N’fa, Remi, Dylan Joel, Chelsea Jane, Mules, as well as DJ sets from M-Phazes, Flagrant, Sensible, and Mz Rzk, all performing to help Hunder reach her financial target.
With just 30 days left on Gunder’s crowdfunding project, there’s just over $2,000 left to reach her projected target of $17,343, a figure that will go towards branding and layout costs and a print run of 2,000 books through DAI Print & Logistics, slated for the first quarter of 2014. With any additional funds raised to be used on marketing and PR, distribution, and possibly future print runs.
To see Michelle Grace Hunder’s Rise campaign in full effect, head to http://www.risepledgecampaign.com and check out some of the photographer’s work below.
(Urthboy. Image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Source: Pozible)
(M-Phazes. Image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Source: Pozible)
(Seth Sentry. Image: Michelle Grace Hunder. Source: Pozible)
Rise Fundraising Concert
5th December – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Featuring:
Seth Sentry
Mantra + Greyghost
Diafrix
Briggs
Dialectrix
N’fa
Remi
Dylan Joel
Chelsea Jane
Mules
Plus DJ sets from M-Phazes, Flagrant, Sensible, and Mz Rzk
