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You know I dont take those for granted.
Powell wasnt a street photographer in the mode ofWinograndorMeyerowitz.
He wasnt overly interested in the balletic collision of the crowd.
Nor was he a paparazzo, chasing down celebrities.
Aside fromtouring with the Beastie Boys, he never left the city.
He got his start in photography, as goes the story he often retold, out of spite.
He was self-trained, and many of his images betray a complete disregard for composition or framing or lighting.
Powells method was being there, a kind of relational aesthetic for which he had uncanny talent.
He described his style as pro photos on a hang out tip.
41 in the Village together into a gig documenting their tour with Run-D.M.C.
I dont know how I used to hang out with these dudes, he said inEverybody Street.
Except they knew I was down.
I wasnt sure if he was a light-skinned Black guy.
He understood the culture, he understood the language.
Ricky was the right guy at the right time.
There are a variety of qualities that make a good street photographer, Dunn tells Vulture.
Ricky would say anything to anyone famous, non-famous.
That was his ace quality.
There are characters in those pictures, but hes one of those characters.
The people he was drawn to, hes one of them.
Powell was not self-serious.
He knew every place.
He knew the heavy hitters, but he also knew the homeless.
For him, they were equally important.
They were both worthy of presenting the city that he loved.
Hed take a picture of the UPS guy the same way he would Madonna.
Powell took pride in being able to offer a bridge.
In interviews, Powell likened street photography to his ever-present transistor radio.
The playlist is infinite.
