Specification
Four colour screen print on Japanese Thai Two decorative paper with monoprinted multicolour reverse
74cm x 56cm
Signed and thumb printed by Steve Lazarides
Description
Taken from the exhibition 'Rave Captured' by me, Steve Lazarides, showing late winter 2022 at Laz Emporium's downstairs space.
The 'Rave Captured' series of photos document the exploding rave scene in the north-east of England during the early 1990s. Working-class youth embraced rave's potential for self-expression, community and hedonism, as the subcultural phenomenon reached Britain's regions and became ever more popular.
I was studying photography at Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University) when I embarked on the project after my tutor suggested he focus on a subject that intrigued him. While rave's music and aesthetic didn't personally appeal to me, the energy, attitude and context of an erupting subcultural phenomenon certainly did – and that remains my impetus to this day.