William Coupon: Social Studies Part One

Capturing Culture: The World's Tribes

William Coupon is a self-taught photographer, whose study of people began at New York’s infamous Studio 54 night club, in 1979, where the one-time musician says he “shot to the rhythm of the bass.” Soon after, he set his mind to “photograph everybody… I had the idea that my mission would be to continue to document groups, or sub-cultures. The working title would be ‘Social Studies.'” In 1979 he headed to Haiti; in 1980, to Australia; by 2010 had a collection of more than 30 groups and tribes.

“What I’ve tried to create is a mosaic, a sample of the world’s peoples, through photography and through my own personal experience.”

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