The grunge era in pictures

Michael Lavine is a New York-based photographer who is synonymous with the grunge era, having shot images for albums such as Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and Soundgarden’s ‘Louder Than Love’. He also captured young street punks hanging around the University District in Seattle while studying in 1983, which are now presented in his book Grunge.

Lavine’s brash, in-your-face style fit perfectly with the rise of the alternative music scene, and his portfolio ranges from intimate shots of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love kissing, to the Wu-Tang Clan raising their flag. He shot iconic covers for Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., as shown in his book Noise from the Underground, and eventually crossed over and began shooting hip hop artists, creating album covers for Puffy, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, The Wu Tang and Notorious B.I.G.

Check out his work below and visit Michael Lavine’s website for more details.