Famed street photographer Ricky Powell made a name for himself taking wild portraits of New York City’s who’s who in the 80s and 90s. From the Beastie Boys to Basquiat, Powell’s lens captured the grit and glamour of the city’s downtown scene like never before. Powell and some of his notable subjects reflect on his fascinating life and work — as well as the demons that shaped him.
I was approached by director Josh Swade to create a series of flashback animations to visualize moments in Ricky Powell’s life. I used a hand-drawn style of illustration and animation inspired in part by the Saturday morning cartoons of the 80’s to bring life to the checkered stories told by Ricky.