The definitive photographers of countercultural life
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Paz Errázuriz (main image)
Photographers have always been drawn to society’s outer fringes. Some of the most powerful images of the last two centuries have been of countercultural communities; from Bruce Davidson’s timeless Brooklyn Gangs series to Alec Soth’s shots of survivalists, hermits and runaways.
This enduring fascination is being celebrated in a new show at London’s Barbican Centre. Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins looks at 20 photographers who have shared the subcultural experience through their work. It includes – among others – projects from Larry Clark, Daido Moriyama, Mary Ellen Mark and Phillippe Chancel.
“Barbican Art Gallery has always championed groundbreaking photography, placing it at the heart of our programme,” explains Jane Alison, Head of Visual Arts at the Centre. “Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins not only continues the Barbican’s commitment to presenting outstanding bodies of work but also demonstrates our desire to address issues that stretch beyond art and help us understand the world from new perspectives.”
The show features over 300 works taken from the early ’50s to the modern day. Themes explored include gender, sexuality, homelessness, poverty, and countercultural rebellion. “[It’s a] show that tells 20 stories by 20 photographers who all approach their subjects with a humanity and empathy that is both empowering and inclusive,” adds Alison.
The exhibition runs until May 27, and is part of the centre’s Art Of Change season.
Untitled, 1982, From the series Rebel’s Paris 1982 Courtesy of Melanie Rio Fluency, France
Anonymous, San Francisco, 2009. From the series Boulevard © Katy Grannan, courtesy the artist and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.
From the series La Manzana de Adán (Adam’s Apple), 1983. © Paz Errázuriz / Courtesy of the artist
Untitled from Carlo Joh, 1973 Courtesy Fotomuseum Winterthur © Walter Pfeiffer
Untitled, 1982, From the series Rebel’s Paris 1982 Courtesy of Melanie Rio Fluency, France.
From the series The Ninety Nine. © Katy Grannan, courtesy the artist and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.
Untitled XVI, Stavropol Krai, USSR, 1977. From the series The Enchanted Wanderer, 1977 Courtesy of the artist © Igor Palmin
Untitled, 1963, from the series Tulsa, 1962 – 1971. Simon Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and Simon Lee Gallery, London
Untitled, Arzgir, Stavropol Krai, USSR, 1977 From the series The Disquiet, 1977
Courtesy of the artist © Igor Palmin
Untitled from Carlo Joh, 1973 Courtesy Fotomuseum Winterthur © Walter Pfeiffer
Pista de Baile del club “Arthur’s” (Dance floor of the club “Arthur’s”), 2016.
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, Switzerland.
Lillie with her rag doll. Seattle, Washington From the series Streetwise, 1983
© Mary Ellen Mark/
Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery New York
Untitled, 1963, from the series Tulsa, 1962 – 1971. Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York and Simon Lee Gallery, London
Pista de Baile de la discoteca “Eduardo’s” (Dance floor of the discotheque “Eduardo’s”), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, Switzerland
Sister Akane, at home, laughing. Ikebukuro, Honcho, 1977 From the series Flash Up, 1975 -1979
Collection of Mark Pearson, Zen Foto Gallery
Tiny. Seattle, Washington
From the series Streetwise, 1983 © Mary Ellen Mark/
Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery New York
Japan Theatre from the series Japan Photo Theater Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, UK. Courtesy of Daido Moriyama Photo Foundation
Medicine is Art, from the series Japan Photo Theater Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, UK. Courtesy of Daido Moriyama Photo Foundation.
Evelyn, La Palmera, Santiago. From the series La Manzana de Adán (Adam’s Apple), 1983 © Paz Errázuriz / Courtesy of the artist
Even though there’s no sign of any customers… near Ikebukuro, Hikarimachi Ohashi, 1975. From the series Flash Up, 1975 -1979
Collection of Mark Pearson, Zen Foto Gallery
Another Kind Of Life: Photography on the margins runs at London’s Barbican Centre until May 27.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Reynaldo Rivera’s intimate portrait of queer Latino love
Propiedad Privada — Growing up during the AIDS pandemic, the photographer entered a world where his love was not only taboo, but dangerous. His new monograph presents inward-looking shots made over four decades, which reclaim the power of desire.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive
Save the stands — With Huck 83 hitting shelves around the world, we met a few people who continue to stock print magazines, defying an enduringly tough climate for physical media and the high street.
Written by: Ella Glossop
The quiet, introspective delight of Finland’s car cruising scene
Pilluralli — In the country’s small towns and rural areas, young people meet up to drive and hang out with their friends. Jussi Puikkonen spent five years photographing its idiosyncratic pace.
Written by: Josh Jones
The last days of St Agnes Place, London’s longest ever running squat
Off the grid — Photographer Janine Wiedel spent four years documenting the people of the Kennington squat, who for decades made a forgotten row of terraced houses a home.
Written by: Isaac Muk
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In west London, Subbuteo is alive and flicking
London Subbuteo Club — The tabletop football game sees players imitate vintage teams with tactics and tiny painted replica kits. Ryan Loftus takes a trip to Fulham to meet a dedicated community and witness a titanic Brazil vs Coventry City showdown.
Written by: Ryan Loftus
