In this rare look at the sights of Studio 54 in full color, Bill Bernstein brings the magical vibrancy of Kodachrome, known as the film stock of choice for National Geographic due to its rich colors, into the world of nightlife.
Bernstein is particularly cognizant of the impact of neon and larger-than-life installations that came to prominence at clubs like Studio 54 in the late ‘70s. We see this awareness in his choice to capture this moment in Kodachrome, the favorite film of landscape photographers. However, with that being said, for Bernstein the blue tones of an undulating ocean current have been overtaken by the booming bass of four on the floor in tones of reds and yellows. In doing so, Bernstein captures a surrealistic landscape of dancing, debauchery, and disco.
Music from this NFT is inspired by the sounds of Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer, reimagined by modern disco maven, Morgan Wiley (known for his work with DFA Records and Midnight Magic), with the help of emerging future soul star he co-produces, Adeline, on the bass guitar.
10% of sales from this NFT will benefit the incredible Marsha P Johnson Institute, chosen by our good friend, Honey Dijon. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of Black transgender people. They do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting collective power within the LGBTQ+ community.
This NFT also includes a signed 11 x 17 print of this never before seen photograph used in this piece.
