DJ AM Photo Essay
I was saddened to hear of the drug overdose death of DJ AM, a young man who had been somewhat influential on the Los Angeles music scene and had recently died in a New York hotel room. My first instinct was to type in the url of a website called “the Cobrasnake“, a photo website that has functioned as a gung-ho gallery of clubby scenester nightlife.
I don’t claim to hobnob with the Los Angeles party animals on any level, but as my scoping out of the site’s photo galleries increased, I began to feel I knew the players somewhat. these photos communicate a lot about the Los Angeles scene, and since I had been watching reruns of Entourage I remembered the episode DJ AM got the last pair of kicks Turtle wanted.
I was so used to the way the website resonated the scene, I was shocked to see there was no lead graphic of DJ AM, as i knew he had been featured in many of the Cobrasnake happening photo galleries. the photo galleries on this site are formed like diner receipts, each with that hardline number and check tab.
I emailed the admin for the site, letting him know I was disappointed not to see a bunch of DJ AM photos there. Later I typed in the address again and there was a landing page full of great images of this young man who will be missed and shuffled off the mortal coil way too soon. I was pleased to see they chosen happy ones, with DJ AM full of life and picture in the images with friends.
This is one of those moments when you know that photography transcends mere commerce and becomes a statement and a communication. Don’t think I didn’t notice that the color photos had all been transitioned to black and white. excellent work Cobra Snake. Way to micro stock the perfect greeting card for a new media kind of guy.
