Born in Amsterdam in 1957, Ari Marcopoulos decided to move to New York in 1980. Marcopoulos was 23 at the time and found himself bored with the lifestyle that suburban Amsterdam offered. He had visited New York before in his childhood and remembered loving the ambiance of the city. His interest in baseball and basketball also drew him to American shores in the hopes that he could be closer to the sports that he loved. Once he made up his mind to move to New York, he never looked back.

After relocating to New York, Marcopoulos immediately landed a gig working for the legendary Andy Warhol. As an assistant for the artist, he helped make prints at Warhol’s studio. His next job was as a photo assistant for renowned fashion photographer Irving Penn. Marcopulos found himself at the center of New York’s thriving arts scene. One of Marcopoulos’ most memorable photos came during a random hangout with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983. Marcopoulos shared the story behind the images in an Interview Magazine feature. Marcopoulos’ standing within the art community was a precursor to how he would soon find himself at the center of other cultural movements in New York. After securing his place among New York’s elite artists, Marcopoulos had begun to turn his attention to other pockets of culture within the city.

Marcopoulos maintained a habit of bringing his camera with him everywhere he went. His natural curiosity to see all that New York offered helped him find new subjects to photograph.
While had not intentionally set out to document the burgeoning hip-hop scene in New York, he was fascinated with locals that had been expressing themselves through their personal style. Marcopoulos had been working on a series of photos that captured the trend of New Yorkers rocking Lee Jeans and customizing their their sneakers with fat laces. That led to a chance meeting with the pioneering rap group The Fat Boys. His photos of the collective were well-received and led to opportunities to photograph other fledgling rap artists.

His extensive portfolio featured portraits of notable rap trailblazers that included Public Enemy, Rakim, LL Cool J and A Tribe Called Quest. His work capturing rap heroes continued throughout his career. In 2001, Marcopoulos released a book, Pass the Mic: Beastie Boys 1991-1996 which showcased behind the scenes images of the group in the studio and on tour. He followed up the book with an official sequel, titled Ad Rock. The book is a concise and intimate portrait of The Beastie Boys’ group member Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz). It focuses around photographs of the musician at work, with his friends and at home with family.

Perhaps the most widely seen work of Ari Marcopoulos’ entire career is the cover photo he took for Jay-Z’s 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail. The photos that he took for the album were the result of a true collaborative process. Before setting out to shoot images for the project, the two met to discuss the the project. Jay-Z sat across from Marcopoulos and explained each song off the album and even rapped it acappella for him. The dialogue lead Marcopoulos to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art where he took the photos with the album’s themes of power, passion and duality in mind.

Marcopoulos first sought inspiration in the Greco-Roman section at the Met, but it wasn’t until the areas with later periods of European sculpture that lead him to a piece titled Alpheus and Arethusa by Battista di Domenico Lorenzi. The image he took of this piece eventually was chosen for the cover of the album. Portraits that Marcopoulos took of Jay-Z were also displayed across New York, wheat-pasted onto walls and shared on the digital screens in Times Square. Marcopoulos even made an appearance alongside Jay-Z and the album’s producers Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell Williams in a behind-the-scenes video from the album’s recording sessions.

Some of the images that define Marcopolos’ gritty photography style have come as a result of his participation in the skateboarding community. Marcopolos had begun photographing skaters as far back as the early-’90s. As part of his exploration of the downtown New York landscape, he had befriended many well-known skaters of the time. Marcopoulos' mostly black-and-white candids and action shots did not always focus around the physical act of skating, but rather the charisma of the skaters themselves. The archive of images he took through the 1990s is both nostalgic and emotive in retrospect. His photos highlighted many prominent New York skaters including Javier Nunez, Jeff Pang, Hamilton Harris, Peter Bici and Mike Hernandez. His archive also includes portraits of New York skate legends Harold Hunter and Justin Pierce, both of whom starred in Larry Clark’s controversial 1995 film Kids.

When Supreme opened shop in 1994, Marcopoulos had already been documenting many of the skaters Supreme supported. It was not a surprise that the two would officially collaborate as they both were influenced by the same subcultural milieux that shaped downtown Manhattan. Marcopoulos commented on the special relationship he formed with the skate shop in a 2016 i-D profile stating "This period that I was taking pictures of the skateboarders in New York seems to be a very important part of history for many people. I think James (Jebbia, Supreme’s founder) appreciates those pictures too, but I think for him it also goes back to the roots of that store and a reminder of where it all came from."

It wasn’t long before the two officially collaborated on product for the brand. In 1996, Supreme released a graphic tee with portraits of Basquiat shot by Marcopoulos. The skate brand once again partnered with Marcopoulos’ in 1999 with the release of their “Safety Film” T-shirt. Supreme launched a wider product collaboration range with Ari Marcopoulos in 2006. The collection featured collaged images that Marcopoulos had taken of the OG skate team and printed them onto clothing, hats and Vans footwear. Released in September that year, the collaboration was a celebration of the brand’s roots and Marcopoulos’ unique role in documenting Supreme’s original team.

In 2010 Marcopoulos released a book called Stoopz which featured black and white photographs and Polaroids of ’90s skate culture in New York. These early images document the growth of the skateboarding culture as it spread across NYC. Back in 2017 Ari Marcopoulos teamed up with adidas Skateboarding on a footwear and apparel capsule collection. The gear was released alongside a lo-fi zine and video showcasing a wintertime skate session in the city.

While Marcopoulos may be better known for his work in skateboarding, he’s also made a name for himself in the snowboarding world. In 1995, Burton Snowboards contacted Marcopoulos to see if he would do a campaign with them. He said yes without mentioning that he didn’t know how to ski or snowboard. When the photographer showed up for the shoot, the team was shocked to see that Marcopoulos had no experience at all on a board. With practice and time, Marcopoulos became a skilled snowboarder that could keep up with the team for subsequent campaigns. His work in the scene gave him enough material for a book, Transitions and Exits. In the book, Marcopoulos photographs the day to day life of snowboarders both on and off the slopes. Published by Powerhouse Books in 2000, the book is a testament to the time he spent within the scene.

Over four decades into his career, Marcopoulos shows few signs of slowing down. While he could easily rest on his laurels, Marcopoulos continues to move forward in new directions. He was commissioned by Alessandro Michele to shoot Gucci’s Pre-Fall 2016 campaign, which was subsequently released as a stand-alone photo book, Epiphany. In 2016, Marcopoulos released one of the largest retrospectives of his career to date in the form of a hardcover book published by Rizzoli entitled Not Yet. The diversity of images in the book are a reminder that Marcopoulos’ career has been defined by his ability to embed himself within communities. His images are unassuming and honest portrayals of people and places. What has helped Marcopoulos maintain his prolific pace is the mentality he brings to his work. Marcopoulos shared his zen-like philosophy on creativity with Interview, stating “I liken myself to lying in a stream and just sort of going with that flow, you know, letting the current take you where it takes you.” That’s certainly an ethos that he’s stayed true to throughout his entire career.