The Photographers’ Gallery, Shot in Soho Exhibition
Men hidden their faces / 69 Sauna & Massage
© William Klein
Courtesy of the artist
Soho is a place that welcomes all and celebrates the individual. This never sleeping district of central London holds the stories of many wild and wonderful characters.
This month sees the Photographers Gallery on Ramillies Street, celebrating the past and present of Soho Life through the ‘Shot in Soho’ exhibition; showcasing this unique district through the lens of renowned photographers.
Soho, bordered by some of London’s grandest and most commercialised streets, approximately one square mile, itstands out loud and proud on the London cityscape. A place where differences are celebrated, it has over the years maintained its reputation and resonance as a village affair; a hotbed of unpredictability, disobedience and diverse cultures- a place where anything goes.
From market-place to movie-set, cocktail bar to coffee shop, crime scene to cabaret, Soho has always been an unfolding and complex spectacle, central to the music, fashion, design, film and sex industries alongside being a vibrant hub for LGBTQ+ communities. It has also, across the centuries, been home to a variety of immigrant communities.
The photographers at the exhibition include; William Klein, through a rare presentation of his candid 1980s Sunday Times commissioned photo essay; Anders Petersen, through a selection of his 2011 Soho series, which capture the neighbourhood with his trademark lyrical melancholy; Corinne Day, whose images take us off the streets into her Brewer St. home where some of her most iconic editorial and personal work was shot; as well as work from less familiar figures such as Times photographer Kelvin Brodie’s night-time forays with police teams, John Goldblatt’s strip club dressing room scenes and Clancy Gebler Davies’s work in The Colony Room Club. The exhibition features a commission from artist, Daragh Soden who will present a new body of work focusing on Soho’s reputation as a place of connection, performance and the pursuit of love.
The exhibition also offers a range of ephemera that further draws on the history, myths and characters of Soho, offering additional context for this timely presentation, which aims to commemorate, protect and champion the spirit of this fabled quarter. Shot in Soho, hung in The Photographers’ Gallery.
The opening night of ‘Shot in Soho‘ exhibition at The Photographers gallery, a great showcase of Soho through the years. Featuring Love, Fashion, Art, Style and of course Gin.
The King of Soho Gin – the independent, Soho-based challenger spirits brand – is delighted to be a sponsor of the ‘Shot in Soho’ original exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery (18th October 2019 – 9th February 2020).