In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first EOS Rebel SLR camera, Canon
U.S.A., Inc., partnered with Grammy Award winning record producer Swizz Beatz to
give a voice to undiscovered artists. In keeping with Canon’s new “Rebel with a
Cause’ initiative which profiles modern day rebels who challenge convention in their
own unique way while capturing causes near and dear to their hearts through the
eye of a Canon Rebel DSLR camera, Swizz chose to showcase artistic talent that
may have otherwise fallen under the radar of the art community through
#TheUnknowns. With a focus on breaking down the boundaries that the art world
has built up, Swizz and Canon curated the work of unknown artists and brought
their work to the masses, projecting them on the facades of the Brooklyn Museum
and Bronx Museum of the Arts.
“Canon has always made it a priority to make what was once thought to be
impossible possible, and it’s one of the reasons we created the EOS Rebel
cameras,’ said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Watching
Swizz bring his cause to life to the streets of New York City epitomises what the
“Rebel With a Cause’ campaign stands for. Swizz’s passion for the art world and
compassion for others is truly inspiring.’
For his “Rebel with a Cause moment, Swizz Beatz aimed to help give artists an
advantage in their own artistic endeavours. Fresh off of his “No Commission’ art fair
at Art Basel, Swizz worked with Canon to curate an art show for the world to see on
the facades of museums in New York City. Select works were then featured in a
gallery event at Sotheby’s Auction House, where Swizz announced an online auction
to increase awareness of #TheUnknowns project and give fans from around the
globe the opportunity to participate and help raise funds for the artists by bidding
on and buying the art. The online auction will remain open until 6 March 6 2016 at
18:30 EST and can be viewed at #TheUnknowns auction website.
“My mission is to bring to light creative minds that have dedicated themselves to
pushing the boundaries of culture and expression,’ said Swizz Beatz. “It can be a
struggle for any artist to break through the walls of esteemed institutions. I feel
honoured that Canon has provided an opportunity for #TheUnknowns to break
through those walls in a very unique way.’
The campaign was shot entirely on Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR cameras:
