Street Life
Over the years, demolition and regeneration has steadily forged and reforged the face of London. Now, a new photography exhibition renders the most diverse and underrepresented parts of the capital immutable. ‘Still City’ offers a view of London from four street photographers who each delve into aspects of the city’s cultural life that all too easily evade our notice.
In Polly Braden’s photos of the River Lea, bucolic meets urban in a mish-mash of canal boats, pylons and rubbish dumps. Her soporific images capture the essence of a half-forgotten thread of land that now sits in the shadow of Canary Wharf, and the 2012 Olympic Games site.
While Colin O’Brien’s timeless black and white portraits of Hackney residents, taken over the last fifty years, immortalise the young and beautiful of the working class – from a group of girls dressed all in white, to the waif-like daughter of a gypsy traveller.
‘Still City’, which also features the work of Ollie Harrop and Billy Macrae (the exhibitions’ curators), offers a refreshing, alternative take on London – one that swaps the glass and glitz skyline, for a view of the city from the ground up.
‘Still City’ is on show from 06-29 August at the ROOM gallery.
Above image by Ollie Harrop.
Colin O’ Brien.
Colin O’ Brien.
Ollie Harrop.
