Three notable exhibitions in London celebrate the creative explosion of the 1980s, highlighting its lasting impact on fashion and cultural identity.
The 1980s continue to resonate within today’s cultural landscape as three exhibitions in London celebrate this transformative decade’s influence on style and creativity. These events honor both the cultural milestones and the creative figures that emerged from this complex era.
At the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition titled “The Face” showcases a wealth of imagery from the influential youth culture magazine founded in 1980 by Nick Logan. This magazine played a pivotal role in shaping British pop culture, promoting independent fashion designers and introducing icons such as Kate Moss and Neneh Cherry to a wider audience. The exhibition features work from over 80 photographers, including renowned names like Juergen Teller and David Sims. The gallery describes “The Face” as a “trailblazing” platform that changed artistic expression and societal perceptions, particularly in terms of fluid identity and creativity.
Across the river at Tate Modern, “Leigh Bowery!” celebrates the life and flamboyant style of the notorious performance artist and fashion icon who significantly influenced the club culture and fashion scene of the 1980s. Bowery’s extravagant costumes exemplify the decade’s embrace of self-expression and risk-taking.
In addition, the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey presents “Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London,” a smaller but highly significant exhibit concluding on Sunday. This exhibition dives deep into the underground fashion scene characterized by DIY creativity, independent designers, and innovative techniques, featuring mavericks such as Christopher Nemeth and Judy Blame, alongside the budding talent of John Galliano.
Following these events, London’s Design Museum will host “Blitz: the club that shaped the eighties” in September. This upcoming exhibition pays tribute to the iconic Blitz nightclub, helmed by New Romantic figures Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. The venue is cited as a starting point for many of the decade’s defining styles and cultural movements.
This convergence of exhibitions has engendered a wave of nostalgia among those who experienced the 1980s firsthand, while also drawing the interest of younger generations keen to explore a world characterized by vibrant self-expression, as noted by author and curator Ekow Eshun, who remarked that the magazine “defined the last pre-digital period.” He emphasized that “the boundaries that held sway for so long were being redefined” as “fluidity and identity” became prominent themes.
The legacy of “The Face” magazine and its influence permeates today’s creative scene, and the exhibitions serve as a testament to the era’s foundational impact on current cultural identities and practices. The atmosphere of collaboration and innovation that defined the underground fashion scene is echoed in curatorial statements. Sabina Jaskot-Gill, the senior curator of photography at the National Portrait Gallery, noted the low-budget, grassroots nature of the photographic endeavors in the 1980s, stating, “Hardly anyone was getting paid in the beginning, so it was a bit like the wild west.”
Despite the artistic vibrancy of the past, contemporary challenges have emerged. The current economic environment, marked by prohibitive tuition and housing costs, poses significant barriers for young creatives today. While the 1980s offered opportunities for self-creation and expression, some current observers, including Martin Green, highlight a shift in focus among today’s youth who seem to reflect not just on aesthetic styles but also a longing for the possibilities that the past represented.
These exhibitions collectively depict an era of artistic rebellion and expressive freedoms that continue to inspire and captivate new audiences, bridging the gap between generations in a continuously evolving cultural dialogue.
Source: Noah Wire Services
