Just in time for the release of Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze is getting a big retrospective at MoMA. It’s a well-deserved moment of recognition for Jonze, who, despite having directed a few great films, is still probably best known for his music videos. Jonze’s videos, made mostly in the 1990′s, are some of the most enduring artifacts of the decade. The signature motifs of Jonze’s videos - irony, nostalgia, and humor, all held together by a seemingly effortless lo-fi look – have been so thoroughly absorbed by the mainstream that it’s hard to remember a time when these things weren’t an accepted part of the cultural vernacular.
Of course, the 90′s were not just about grunge and indie rock. The 90′s were the era of hip-hop’s ascendancy, when rap was transformed from fringe genre into the dominant form of pop music. And it was Hype Williams, the decade’s most prolific video director, who almost single-handedly established and raised to the level of art nearly every visual icon we associate with hip-hop today. The money, the cars, the girls, the clothes – Hype Williams did it all first, and better, than just about anybody. And he’s still going strong today. Read More
