Photographer Tyrell Hampton would describe himself as a “late bloomer.” The Philadelphia native—who splits his time between Los Angeles and New York shooting covers and campaigns with Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, SZA, Rosé, and many more—was a classically trained dancer when he moved to New York City at 17 years old. “My personality was: dance, school, family,” Hampton says. “All of these milestones of your high school and middle school years, I didn’t have—no social life, I didn’t smoke, and I didn’t have my first drink until I was 23 or 24.” Then, like so many artists before him, Hampton discovered the hedonistic, up-all-night energy of the city that never sleeps. With a point-and-shoot camera in tow, he’d document wild nights out with friends like Lola Leon, Odessa A’zion, and Gabbriette. Each of the pictures is infused with playful uninhibitedness—his signature, which makes you feel like you’re right there on the dance floor with his subject. “I didn’t realize how much of a childlike spirit I had to give to the world, how much I wanted to be carefree and ride my bike, letting the world be my oyster,” Hampton recalls (for what it’s worth, these days, he can still be found riding his bike across the Williamsburg Bridge on TikTok for his 1.6 million followers). “I was being crazy, having a good time, letting the city inspire me. Now, I’m almost 30. I’m hanging up my party hat. It’s time to make things more intentional.”
Tyrell Hampton, Sleepy.angel, China Chalet, Financial District, 2019.
Courtesy of the artist
Tyrell Hampton, Mouthful, East Village, 2016.
Courtesy of the artist
That’s the idea behind his latest project—a self-published book of photography from 2016-18 titled Last Call. The 300-page tome documents the downtown Manhattan scene of the mid-aughts, and captures that distinct mix of mischief and liberation that floods your veins when you let your hair down with friends. In the images, Lily-Rose Depp makes out with a partygoer, Barbie Ferreira lights a cigarette, and A’zion—in a picture from a nighttime dim sum outing—cheekily stuffs a dumpling in her mouth. “We were so young, and to see everyone’s accomplishments since then is gratifying,” Hampton says. “It’s like a yearbook of memories. Gabby is in it a lot. And now, she’s engaged! She’s almost married. Who knew that, for one, she wouldn’t have bangs; and two, she’d star in a movie?”
Tyrell Hampton, Stella Klein, East Village, 2018.
Courtesy of the artist
Tyrell Hampton, No Pole, Lower East Side, 2018.
Courtesy of the artist
There will be second and third volumes in the series, but Last Call, which officially goes on sale June 30, serves as the opening chapter. A corresponding Last Call exhibition will also be on view from Friday, June 26, to Saturday, July 18, at Dashwood Projects in the East Village.
Tyrell Hampton, Gracie and Lili, Mehanata, Lower East Side, 2018.
Courtesy of the artist
Tyrell Hampton, They Broke Up, Lower East Side, 2017.
Courtesy of the artist
Hampton describes sifting through the archives to choose photos for Volume One as “a little ride.”
“It’s been a tender, emotional experience, realizing how much I relied on the city and its energy to give me inspiration and my muses,” he adds. “Growing into my identity as a photographer, I saw it as a challenge: how can I mimic this energy that I give and receive through my community and going out in New York, in different ways?”
Tyrell Hampton, Red Bikini, SoHo, 2017.
Courtesy of the artist
It’s safe to say he’s achieved that end, having shot Dua Lipa, Alex Consani, Glorilla, Selena Gomez, and Kaia Gerber with a stunning sense of closeness. “It’s time for me to not rely on outward things and ask, what do I actually want to create? How do I see the world? It’s been a long time coming.”
