Culture
A riotous journey from Soho to Blackpool and back again
British summertime — Through the 80s and early 90s, photographer Barry Lewis would routinely make the trip from Blackpool to London, soaking in the sun and sand with liquid lunches, to evenings spent in Ronny Scotts and the Groucho, capturing the many characters he encountered along the way.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Hedonistic nights in 1980s New York’s East Village
‘Everyone was a star‘ — Photographer Andé Whyland remembers capturing candid portraits and dancing alongside the luminaries of downtown New York's club scene, among them Keith Haring, Grace Jones, Lady Bunny and Ru Paul.
Written by: Miss Rosen
An uncanny portrait of Russia's modern hermits
Home alone — In her photo series, Natalia Ershova meets the social recluses from Moscow who have chosen to stay at home, and communicate with the outside world almost entirely online. Amid lockdown, her photographs take on a renewed poignancy.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
Gritty images of everyday life on the streets of Tokyo
Unexpected beauty — Photographer Tatsuo Suzuki discusses his compelling portraits of contemporary Tokyo, and finding fascination and tensions in the mundane.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Heady nights working in '70s New York go-go bars
Disco inferno — In the 1970s, photographer Meryl Meisler led a double life, working a regular job by day, and by night, as a hostess on NYC's hedonistic club scene. Her book SASSY '70s comprises photos she captured of the nights' debauchery.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Coming of age in a 1970s California suburb
West Coast dreaming — In her early 20s, photographer Mimi Plumb returned to her childhood home to document a generation of disaffected youth growing up amid the drought-ridden California landscape.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Grace Jones' pioneering gender play and Afrofuturism
Disco queen — A new exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary reveals how renegade Grace Jones subverted Western archetypes of Black women and gender binaries.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Adger Cowans on the spiritual power of photography
‘It’s all energy‘ — Adger Cowans, who helped found the Kamoinge Workshop, reflects on his mentor and legendary photographer Gordon Parks, and imbuing his art with feeling.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Rocks is a quiet, revolutionary film about life in London
Teenage riot — On and off-screen best friends Kosar Ali and Bukky Bakray on growing up in East London, and why diverse, multi-layered stories are as vital as ever.
Written by: Beth Webb
The ‘80s nightclub flyers that defined underground New York
Disco ephemera — Posters for New York's legendary club nights designed by the likes of Keith Haring, David LaChappelle, and Jenny Holzer were once distributed and produced en masse, and have since become valued works of art.
Written by: Miss Rosen