Inside a ‘90s art school student house

Cool Britannia — Photographer Marc Vallée remembers shooting his friends at their dilapidated East London house during a golden age of British art institutions.

“I was certainly living a hedonistic life during the ‘90s,” says photographer Marc Vallée, reflecting on his time studying for a fine art MA at London Guildhall University, where he enrolled in 1997. “I’d go clubbing every night of the week at queer alternative clubs that crossed over with the art school, drinking and dancing to guitar-based music or hip hop.”

It was also a period marred by devastating loss: “I’d gone through a pretty horrific time in the 80s and early 90s, of losing a lot of friends, lovers, boyfriends to AIDS,” he says. “A lot of the work I was producing on the degree was very AIDS-related. It was very cathartic.”

When he wasn’t frequenting the many bars dotted around Soho, Marc would often hang out at his friends’ Jamie and Lloyd’s dilapidated house in Stratford, East London. “For the life of me, I can’t remember whether me and Jamie met in a club or at art school [Jamie was also studying fine art], and neither can he,” says Marc. Either way, the two men have remained friends to this day. 

On one occasion in 1998, Marc, then in his late-20s, decided to shoot the housemates as part of a project for his MA. These photos now comprise a zine, titled When I was at Art School in the 90s

Writing in the foreword for the zine, Jamie remembers days spent in the house “constantly dying our hair, pretending the matted stray cat was ours, planting a garden of plastic flowers in the living room”. Marc was, Jamie recalls, “a little older and more worldly than us [me and Lloyd]. He carried a skateboard and had met Derek Jarman.” 

Marc remembers one day dragging a set of lights to the house for the shoot. While the photos were planned, they appear to show the young men in their natural habitat, trying on various outfits and different styles, pretending to be lovers, in a carefree creative display. The rawness of the images, combined with Jamie and Lloyd’s distinct nonchalance, speaks to the punk, grunge aesthetic synonymous with the decade.

Marc remembers art school as an accepting haven for LGBTQ+ students: “We were very ourselves. I mean, you always had the serious straight boy who was usually a sculptor,” he says. “But I never felt any kind of feeling of being closeted.” Outside of art school, things were different, though. London was, Jamie describes, “a dangerous landscape for an eyelinered young homo to be flitting about… My wanderings were tinged with fear”.

Amid this at times hostile climate, Marc’s photos give the sense of two renegades discovering themselves on the fringes of society. But rather than over-romanticise this golden age for British art schools, in the zine’s forward, Jamie honestly recalls the realities of being a young, broke student. “Everyone else moved out [of the house] before the lease was up,” he remembers. “I was left in the dark, rummaging behind damp couch cushions in search of coins for the electric meter”. 

The photos bridge this gap between reality and an imagined past, tinged with nostalgia. “Revisiting these pictures I realise they’re not just about the erotics of half-naked pasty twinks lounging around (although they certainly are about that),” reflects Jamie. “[They] seem to invite us into an almost spectral realm between the real and unreal, a sort of photographic witching hour.”

When I was at Art School in the 90s is available as limited print editions and the zine is out now.

Ad

Latest on Huck

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radical women of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy within the German capital’s female-only bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Group of people dancing at a live music performance, with a large "Spaces Beats" sign in the background.
Music

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms

Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.

Written by: Jack Styler

A person's face surrounded by colourful flowers. The flowers include orange, red, and yellow dahlias, as well as smaller yellow blooms. The person's expression is serious.
Music

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.

Written by: Uwade

Taxidermy alligator with a small monkey sitting on its head, displayed on a wooden shelf with other items.
Culture

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets

“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Muscular man with arms crossed in a dark setting, 'Hard Feelings' text overlay.
Sport

Frazer Clarke: “I had a hole in my leg, I’m very lucky to be alive”

Hard Feelings — For our interview column on masculinity and fatherhood, the Olympic boxing medallist speaks to Robert Kazandjian about hard graft, the fear and triumph of his first fight, and returning to the ring after being stabbed on a night out.

Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Close-up view of a woman in a vintage pose, with flowing hair and an outstretched hand, set against a hazy, scenic background.
© Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Peter Palladino Archive.
Culture

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer

Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.