Photographer Sage Sohier Captures Same-sex Couples in the 1980s

Thanks to the United States Supreme Court's ruling on June 26, same-sex couples have the Constitutional right to marry. This victory for the gay rights movement shines light on the importance of individual equality, acceptance and understanding the world is concerned with today; the victory shows stark contrasts of how far society has come since the Stonewall riots in 1969 and the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. 

In her book, At Home with Themselves: Same-sex Couples in 1980s America, Photographer Sage Sohier examines 1986 when mass media and the public blamed AIDS' outbreak on same-sex promiscuity. She says of her project, "The advent of the disease led me to think about the prevalence, variety and longevity of gay and lesbian relationships... My ambition was to make pictures that challenged and moved people." In the '80s it was common to keep same-sex relationships discreet and away from ridicule due to the persecution and discrimination of the time.

Personally Sohier was impacted upon discovering in the late '70s her Father was gay. Her photographs are sparked by curiosity about homosexual life, set in and around cities in Massachusetts, like Provincetown and Boston, as well as others across the country. Honest, personal images appear depicting natural interactions between couples themselves and other people in their lives, such as parents and children.

Read more on Sage Sohier's book here and explore her other work at www.sagesohier.com.

Mac Miller - Speed Racer

Mac Miller is back in the limelight thanks to the release of his latest album GO:OD AM that came after a two and a half year hiatus complete with seclusion. In his latest press run for the album he describes how he basically locked himself in a studio and simply made quality music, scrapping anything not up to par. This process surely birthed songs that were good, but did not quite meet GO:OD AM's standards. That is okay because leftovers taste better the next day anyways; late Thursday night a new track titled "Speed Racer" debuted on SoundCloud. Produced by Chase N. Cashe, the song is a product of Mac Miller's unmatched work ethic.

Get out and see Mac on tour, next stop Laval, Canada on September 26.

Just a Photograph 2

Photo by Alex Young - 7/24/15

Matériel Supply "Streets À Regalia" Fall 2015 Collection

New York-based skate label Matériel is a creative expression and reflection of the world it inhabits. This characteristic allows the brand to seamlessly execute its ideas, clearly integrating them with design.

For Fall 2015 Matériel draws on past travels to Paris, France in a graphic t-shirt collection. Hand-drawn, sans typography, French vinyl records, and vintage travel books inspires the range presented in Matériel's "Streets À Regalia" lookbook. Shot on 35mm film, the visuals immerse the lifestyle brand in descriptive Parisian streets and linear impressions. Each graphic is akin to an album cover presenting different emotions and scenery referenced to the streets of Brooklyn, NY.

Whether abroad or in native New York, Matériel Supply naturally absorbs the cultures displayed to offer accurate interpretations grouped under a skate theme, all of which is credited to the groups' "Abstract Minds". Shop the entire Fall 2015 collection here. 

Ghetto Sauce - "Taste So Good Make You Wanna Smack Your Mama"

Photo by Amani Davis 7/5/15

Ghetto Sauce was created by Freddie Lee, it took him 20 years to finesse this bomb ass sh*t. The sauce’s website claims you can put it on: ribs, meatloaf, steak, hamburgers, grilled salmon, chicken, fish, spaghetti, Bloody Mary mix, chili, baked beans, even soups and pizza. I have discovered myself to be very partial to the chicken and baked beans recipes. Ghetto Sauce is available at the Historic Soulard Farmers' Market in St. Louis, in grocery stores, and online. In many ways does this sauce make basic foods delectably ghetto.

Unfortunately, all who enjoy the sauce do not share in romanticizing the ghetto experience. The St. Louis grocery store, Shnucks, thought their customers would be offended by the name “Ghetto Sauce” and changed the name to “American Gourmet Sauce”. To me this is as consistent with St. Louis’ treatment of its marginalized populations as ever: ignore their existence as much as you can, and appropriate their contributions as quickly as possible. Fortunately, an article came from a STL paper about the name change and it popularized the sauce like never before. The flavor of Ghetto Sauce is one of a kind, and the name is icing on top of the cake. Comical and true to the legacy of the people who birthed it, “Ghetto Sauce” should be a household name. It represents the American dream; but also the worst nightmare of some of the very same people who coined the phrase.

Photo by Amani Davis 7/5/15

What is incredible about Ghetto Sauce is it tells the same tale of the African American narrative: making pleasure from pain. It seems that nothing good should ever come from the ghetto, but the marginalized populations in America prove time and time again that they can make something from nothing. Ghetto Sauce is yet another example of this undying reality. I will say personally this sh*t is the most fire sauce ever. EVER.  Over the summer I threw down on some incredible veggies, beans, steak, burgers—and obviously—bomb ass wings.

Ghetto Sauce means, “We come from the ghetto and still do positive things”. It is a reminder of the value the most oppressed people in this nation have, and the hope that lies in staying true to oneself. It is remarkable when people use the tools around them to produce positive things for not only themselves, but for the mainstream population.