Over the past two decades, a new way to measure a party in Los Angeles has emerged: If there's no photo of Glenjamn, did it even happen?
Documentary-style flash photography, usually taken in dark spaces, illuminates figures we all recognize, from Daft Punk guys to Pharrell and Nigo to the star skater with his own Nike. You can tell they're looking at someone familiar behind the lens because we're used to seeing these faces, from the famous around the world to the famous in Los Angeles, sporting a much more guarded vibe. In these images, their guards fade and a rare intimacy shines. The smiles are more chaotic, the energy is more confusing, and the mood is more comfortable. Tracee Ellis Ross mocks Taco at interior designer Kelly Wearstler's home. Virgil Abloh poses for an informal portrait with his wife and children. Kaytranada fans herself afterwards. Nas eats cold shrimp. Call it the Glenjamn effect.
Wearing Hunter S. Thompson-style tinted glasses and holding his 35 millimeter camera, Glen Han, also known as Glenjamn, creates his own iconic figure and is as instantly recognizable as his photograph. He's been a constant face in nightlife and culture for the past 15 years, documenting L.A.'s bloghouse culture and mid-aughts electronic music scenes, streetwear events at the height of the golden era from Fairfax, fashion weeks from New York to Paris and countless festivals, raves, hip-hop and punk shows around the world. But he carries his Glendale roots everywhere. “It's a feeling I get everywhere,” says Han. “Every time I'm in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Miami, it's the spirit of Glendale. That's why I get those photos of everyone everywhere: I feel at home every time I'm in these different places.”
After a transcendent experience watching Daft Punk perform at Coachella in 2006, Han vowed to never stop taking photographs of his experiences again. He started out as the guy who wasn't invited, having to constantly push himself through the door. He now he has become the guy he seems to be always I've been there: behind the booth mingling with the DJs, beautifying the designers at the fashion party. “I feel like if you look at my photos, you feel like you're part of their group because I've worked so hard to be in that group,” Han says.
His new photography book, “Glenjamn,” published by Just an Idea Books, curated by Colette’s Sarah Andelman, is an insider look at Han’s nighttime experiences, friendships and memories since 2017. “Over the past 15 years” I've just trusted my instinct,” says Han. “I've always been in search of the naturally cool, the naturally fun, the naturally elegant.” The book includes photos of Los Angeles rapper Buddy peeking through a beaded curtain, LeBron James playing cheese with Tyler, the Creator at Pharrell's Louis Vuitton show, André 3000 with his flute, Tremaine Emory relaxing, Bella Hadid joking . “These are the things I like and these are the people I really like, more than the talents they possess. “I can spend an hour or two with them and then capture this photo of a moment.”
Han is prolific: the book is just a fraction of his larger archive, which now includes photographs spanning the past 20 years of life and culture in Los Angeles and beyond. “I recognized the collective historical moments of all of this,” says Han. “I could see in macro how important this was because it doesn't just affect me.”
Following his book signing in Paris earlier this year, Han brings “Glenjamn” to Los Angeles with a launch party and art exhibition (Han's first) at HVW8 Art + Design Gallery on April 10. Below, she shares 14 memories behind photos that didn't make the cut in her book.
My grandmother is my mother's mother. She raised me after school. I can speak Korean fluently because that was the only way I spoke to my grandmother. Everyone in my family treats me like a black sheep because I'm not a doctor. I have police officers, lawyers and judges in my family. And they're like, “Oh, there's this son of a bitch again going to a rave in France.” I'm not the serious one. My grandmother was always fine with that. She passed away a couple of years ago. I would tag her on my Instagram; The Korean word for grandmother is “hawk.” All these kids online knew about my grandmother. They would come up to me at a rave and say, “How is she?” hawk?”
I took this at the home of Kelly Wearstler, the world's greatest interior designer. It was a Spotify event. My strength, my thing, is that people have to smile back at me on camera. And in this photo Nigo [and Pharrell are] Stone face. But they are still taking my photo and I was excited to see two legends who are united in history. (And to be fair, that is Nigo's smile.)
I went to Japan with Lee [Spielman] – He has a brand called Babylon LA and is in the band Trash Talk. I met Verdy through Lee a long time ago. I met Skrillex at this place called the Trump Room, which no longer exists because it closed. It was a legendary bar with gold-plated mirrors and tables: this ornate bar. Random people would hang out. Skrillex was in town for EDC Tokyo. We were just having a random drink, not knowing that we would all be in Japan at the same time, in this bar that no longer exists. They are all from different worlds but you can see that we all get along through connective tissue. I found everyone's like-mindedness in that photo, and now they're all friends.
This was at a Babylon LA store opening in Hollywood. The end of COVID. That's our friend Errol. [Chatham], DJ, actor and part of Blondie Beach. He was in “Loiter Squad” with Tyler. [, the Creator]. He does some acting stuff. I was like, “Hey, let me take a picture of you.” You get a glimpse of what he was like during COVID, you get a glimpse of how shy Tyler is, but he's pretty open with me taking photos because I've seen him so many times. You get a little glimpse, a snapshot of when that went down in history for us.
I became friends with Sonny. [Lee], who is the creator of “Beef.” I heard rumors about it and then saw a trailer on Netflix. When he got the call that he was having a premiere party in Hollywood, he called me first and said, “Hey, Glen, you have to be the one to take the photos because you're the man.” We talked about how we're both Korean-American and how this is like the Asian Met Gala. They are winners in their own right. And it's nice to see the winners align with the Asian winners.
We went and met to eat at Burgerlords. It was one of those nice, wholesome moments with Spanto where you see that he's not just a gangster. I always told Spanto, “I'm your least tough friend, is that cool?” Spanto was guilty of being a jerk every time he went out with me.
I was photographing a party on a boat for this fair, Man/Woman. anwar [Carrots] She was there with her brand new baby in Paris. Everyone says, “He's the guy who made Carrots!” He is also a great father. It was a worldwide family moment. It's hard to bring a baby to fashion week, but that really sucks. He's a G like that.
That was the day I became friends with Miguel. I was working with my friend Sophie McNeill and she took Miguel to this event downtown. I think it was the All My Friends music festival. We were just kicking it and getting along. He's just a guy who naturally became a friend. And now when I see him, we're always excited to see each other. In that photo, Miguel is holding my video camera; I was filming with her all day.
I have been attending A Club Called Rhonda since 2008. I consider them one of the most authentic parties. They have the spirit of clubs like Studio 54. It feels like a safe space.
It's Estevan Oriol, Uncle Paulie and The Alchemist. We were at [Born X Raised’s] Sadie Hawkins. You can see how crazy we get, you can feel it in Estevan's eyes. These guys are secretive fools. They always pose hard: Alchemist's bad face, Estevan's bad face. It is a very sincere night. Paulie is my boy. Estevan is one of my photography legends; I'm just doing an extension of what he's doing in a different neighborhood.
That was a random party I think Hypebeast threw for the Berrics in Los Angeles. All I remember is, “Oh, Virgil is playing. Guillaume [Berg] He is here, sick. Heron [Preston] is playing.” The three brothers that I would see all the time in that fashion world click. The funniest thing about this: while they were DJing, remember the kid with a backpack from Katy Perry's presentation? Right after taking this photo , the kid with the backpack dances and just kicks a full glass of beer in my face. A quintessential Glen-ass moment.
James [Blake] I started doing a series in Los Angeles called CMYK with the people at A Club Called Rhonda. Getting photos from someone like James Blake, who is quite reserved and cautious… this was after I took a couple of CMYK images and he became more comfortable with me. Which is what I usually do. He feels very comfortable in this photo with him and his friend Steve Lacy.
That photo of Kaytranada is from when I went to photograph a festival. [from Golden Voice] called Portola in San Francisco. It was after he played that day. I have known Kaytranada for a long time. He actually used to watch my videos before he wanted to be a DJ, and one time he said to me, “I used to watch your videos.” [of people DJing] and I said, 'That's what I want to do.'” I caught this bold moment from Kaytra. He's just this guy that I met and now he's one of the most classy people who ever lived. It looks like a magazine shoot rather than an after-hours shoot.
That was right after Kobe passed away. I was like, “We have to go. We have to be there for Los Angeles.” I took a photo of this child. He's the next generation of people who pay tribute to Kobe even though he never saw Kobe. You see the generational impact that Kobe had in Los Angeles and that lasts forever.
