Break Tapes

BREAK.TAPES

Break Tapes is a digital archive dedicated to the preservation of breaking culture through collecting and sharing VHS tapes in an accessible format. This project is part of my graduate thesis work at the Maryland Institute College of Art. It included a branding system, motion graphics, poster designs, and digitizing around 42,300 feet of tape—so far.

SERVICES

Brand Design
Web Design
Motion Graphics + C4D
Digitizing

Services

Poster Design
Typography

COLLABORATORS

Shawn Stevens
(B-boy Shogun)

COLLABORATORS

Shawn Stevens
B-boy Shogun
Deadly Venoms Crew (Baltimore, MD)
@bboyshogundvc

I discovered breaking in 2001 by watching the movie Beat Street. Seeing this movie was a paradigm shift that set me down a path of self-discovery through the exploration of hip-hop culture. During this time, in the early 2000s, I started collecting breaking VHS tapes. It was through collecting and studying these tapes (sacred artifacts) that I became informed and inspired by different breaking cultures from around the world.

The VHS tape is part of the history of dance language. By documenting and sharing/resharing these sacred artifacts (literally remnants/documents or the history of the dance language) I am in fact, codifying the history and  extending this knowledge back into the universe.

IDENTITY SYSTEM

When considering a brand for Break Tapes, it was important for me to contextualize how it would live and interact alongside the VHS artwork. The tapes are filled with vibrant colors, graffiti, and photoshop effects. With that in mind, I created a system of minimal design elements that would stand apart. Below are some of those visual elements.

BREAKTAPES.VIDEO

The goal of the website was to simulate what it's like digging through the boxes of tapes I have stashed away in my mom's basement. I wanted the tactility of the tapes to come through in a web experience. I also didn't want the original tapes to be altered in any way. I digitized them and posted the videos entire contents. Glitches and sound issues are transparent in order to preserve the authentic nature of what it's like to interact with a VHS tape.

VISIT WEBSITE

There’s something fascinating about these tape designs. It's an honest aesthetic originated out of b-boys teaching themselves photoshop. For this poster series, I created my own designs inspired by my favorite tapes.