COME WITH US TO CELEBRATE PHOTOGRAPHER CHRIS SKYLARK’ SOLO DEBUT IN NYC
words by HANNAH ATIRA
As quickly as the crowd flocked to New York City for September’s opener schedule of spring-summer collections, they fled to the next city awaiting a new set of inspirations. Recuperating from their outside guests, on Friday the 13th, New Yorkers took to other scenes to reclaim their Friday night, which included the opening of photographer Chris Skylark’s debut solo show. Entitled, Swallow the Lake, Skylark’s debut brought out the true curators of the city and its continuously budding underground art and fashion scenes.
The evening began with the opening of Skylar’s show, which hid seemingly in plain sight, taking place on an unfinished floor of a tucked-away building in the city’s most bustling neighborhood. With a backdrop view of Times Square and an exposed aesthetic of air vents, wiring, and construction materials, Skylark debuted twelve large-scale, mixed-media photographic pieces. While the art scene may be pictured to be an evening of quiet small talk, soothing sounds, and light libations, Skylark’s show fittingly aired on the side of the abnormal, bringing out a crowd of adoring fans and notable friends, to the point of commotion at the buildings’ subdued entrance. While thought to some as unconventional, the crowd was not a surprise as Skylark has proven to be quite the anomaly himself. From shooting the likes of Playboi Carti, Asap Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Daniel Caesar in his early years, to breaking norms through blurring the worlds of fashion music, and art to most recently managing musician Tana, Skylark snaps to the viewpoint of his own shutter in true zillenniel fashion.
After party of course was the after party, in a slight change of venue downtown to Chinatown an intimate dinner was hosted the same evening in celebration of the photographer's debut. Held in a private studio, guests were invited into an intimate atmosphere of a candle-lit room with a gothic spread of hors d'oeuvres and a bar flowing with Tres Geranciones tequila. As the soft sounds of a handpicked playlist filled the room, dinner guests chatted and mingled while the soft chatter of the Chinatown restaurants below faintly blended through the open windows. As the night progressed, friend and fellow multidisciplinary creative Evan Mock toasted Skylark's presentation before the evening took quite an exciting turn. Quickly turning into one big celebration, the ultimate hip-hop and rap soundtracks ignited the scene as DJs Father Bop and Evan Mock took charge of the rest of the evening.
Chris Skylark, born in Atlanta, Georgia, has a background in music, fashion, and creative direction. Skylark’s work blurs the boundaries between photography, fashion, and music, with a focus on exploring personal and collective identity. His debut Collection Swallow the Lake will be open through October 4th.
images courtesy of WEST OF IVY
