"The London Youth Portraits (ACC Art Books), a sumptuous collection of never-before-seen photographs of punks, skinheads, New Romantics, goths, ravers, and fetishists." â" Huck Magazine
"A new edit of a beloved classic." â" Marc Jacobs Instagram
"Across 176 pages, the oversized volume documents Ridgersâ vision of Englandâs seminal youth culture from the height of punk to the birth of acid house, each image a tribute to the trials and triumphs of youth." â" 10 Magazine
âAs time passes, this kind of observational photography attains a new importanceâ â" Sean OâHagan, The Observer
âRidgersâ portraits of young boys and girls are weighted with a raw poetry and beautyâ â" Cory Reynolds, artbook.com
Between 1978 and 1987, renowned British photographer Derek Ridgers captured London youth culture in all its glory. With skinheads, punks and new romantics, in clubs and on the street, his images have come to define a seminal decade of British subculture.
Broadly based on the now out of print book 78/87 London Youth, this showcases a completely fresh selection of images from the depths of Ridgersâ exceptional archive â" including many previously unseen â" beautifully printed and bound in an oversized volume.
Each picture is a tribute to the trials and triumphs of youth, and a precious document of style and culture in 1980s England, from the height of punk to the birth of acid house. Several have been exhibited internationally in cities as far-ranging as Moscow, Adelaide and Beverly Hills, in the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Somerset House. Ridgers has also collaborated with a number of major fashion houses, including Saint Laurent and Gucci, and his images continue to inspire photographers, artists and fashion designers around the world.
Industry Reviews
"In the vibrant streets of 1970s and 1980s London, the raw energy of punk rock and youth subcultures flourished. Derek Ridgers, armed with his camera, captured the essence of this rebellious generation. The London Youth Portraits showcases skinheads, punks, goths, and new romantics, each photograph telling a unique story of fashion and attitude."-- "About Photography"
"Encased in a denim-like hardback cover with a white debossed title and Ridgers' a photo of Tuinol Barry on King's Road, Chelsea taken in 1983, this impressive compendium of portraits will transport you back in time. From the flop of a fringe to anarchic clubland scenes, Ridgers' intimate perception of subcultures offers a glimpse into the unadulterated defiance of British youths."--Emily Phillips "10 Magazine"
"At a moment when England was struggling with miners' strikes, IRA bombings and general civil unrest, the club scene offered a heady respite, a chance to escape everyday banality and elevate into something different, something special...For Ridgers, and many of his generation, punk was a way to challenge the status quo... The result was something new and unorthodox." (praise for the first edition)-- "Buzzfeed.com"
"As time passes, this kind of observational photography attains a new importance." (praise for the first edition)--Sean O'Hagan "The Observer"
"Ridgers' portraits of young boys and girls are weighted with a raw poetry and beauty." (praise for the first edition)--Cory Reynolds "artbook.com"
