Rave Captured on Now!

This exhibition in our downstairs space showing till Wednesday 27 April 2022 showcases Steve Lazarides' rave culture photography from the early 1990s. 

 

 

Steve has installed the images in an immersive and racy manner in complete contrast to austere photo exhibitions. Swing by!

 

 

There's a book and a horde of ravey prints to accompany the exhibition.

 

 

White gloves on for handling the Japanese paper editions contrasting rave's contemporary popular culture with heritage crafts!

 

 

Tons of famous people came to the launch.

 

 

Huck magazine says in its review of the show: 

'The rave scene erupted out of the ruins of Thatcher’s Britain which, especially in the North East, had decimated industry. “Suddenly, you’re watching a society trying to repair the wounds of a fucking lunatic,” Lazarides says. “And people just wanted to step out and fucking party.”

He continues: “You can only feel glum for so long, before you have to slap on your war paint and your armour and go and live life.

“It was us against the state; It was a big fuck you to the press and society, without it really being about that. People weren’t doing it as a mass protest, they were doing it because they wanted to have a good time again…But I’ll tell you what, it didn’t feel like we were losing.”

 

 

Congrats Steve on making a splash with your first ever show! Besides when some of these were chosen for the National Portrait Gallery 30 years ago.

 

 

Finally – who nicked all the OG 90s Vicks?