The South Bronx, cradle of hip-hop, was ironically an urban tomb of crumbled buildings and deserted streets during the music genre's gestation. Photographer Ray Mortenson's portrayal of the abandoned neighborhood in the early '80s demonstrates civilization breaking down. Alongside his attention to texture (in shots of amassed rubble) and form (in successions of windowless apartment blocks), Mortenson's sense for the personal, human element proves most astute — a collared shirt hanging from a door handle, children's drawings on a wall, an armchair — all signs of former life among such dismal decay.