Step back in time to a Britain captured through the lens of the 1980s at Tate Britain’s powerful new exhibition!
“The 80s: Photographing Britain” delves into a decade defined by both cultural rebellion and political unrest, offering a raw and often stark look at a transformative era.
“The 80s: Photographing Britain” actually start outside the exhibition rooms. A collection of vintage i-D and TEN.8 magazines are propped up on a display shelf, like the coolest newsagent’s rack imaginable. Bold covers beckons. Grab one, flip through the pages. So real, so fun, so tactile. If you lived through the 80s, you might find yourself thinking, Wait, I have that one at home! Or, more wistfully, Damn, I wish I had bought that one! (I know I felt very wistful in front of that wall!)
It’s a brilliant move to start things off. (Alas, you can’t buy them—so there ends the newsagent analogy.)
At a glance...
A strong start
Inside, the exhibition starts out strong. The first room tackles the decade’s pivotal struggles: the fight against Section 28, the Greenham Common women, the Troubles, race relations and racism (including the senseless murder of Altab Ali), Rock against racism, the AIDS crisis, police brutality, the miner’s strike and Thatcher’s war on the unions.
It’s a lot, and it’s a sucker punch. Because for all that the 80s are often portrayed in dayglo tones, big hair and leg warmers … they were, in many ways, a dark time.
On the wall: stark black-and-white photographs, soberly and beautifully framed. In the display cases: the raw, urgent energy of underground zines, some no more than photocopied leaflets. The urgency in them is still palpable 40 years on.
It’s a brilliant room. And it sets the tone for much of what follows—this is an unashamedly political exhibition.
The show ends on a high note, too, with the pop culture room. Technically, it’s called “Celebrating Subculture,” but it’s essentially a return to the themes of the first room—this time through colour photography that runs around exuberantly around the space. Gone are the sober frames: this is vibrant, joyous, reflexive, and experimental. The Face gets a nod, and i-D magazine is given pride of place. (Surely an i-D retrospective is long overdue? It would be a perfect companion to “The Face: Culture Shift” currently showing at the National Portrait Gallery.)
A slightly middling middle…
In between those two rooms… well, there was a lot to take in – 11 rooms in total. And here’s where I must make a confession. I love photography, but when it comes to art, I’m a bit of a philistine (and perfectly OK with that). Some of the middle sections, I really enjoyed: Martin Parr – the only photographer’s name I recognised – had a couple of very strong series. I was not familiar with Karen Knorr’s work, but her “Gentlemen” series was another punch to the gut – photography as social scalpel as its best. And Dave Lewis images of Black communities in south London also really stayed with me.
But there’s also a fair bit of abstraction and conceptualism, and I must admit… that made large parts of the exhibition pass me by, perhaps a little bit undeservedly. Maybe I’ll go back.
An equally strong end
And just as the exhibition started before the official start, so it finishes beyond its end. The shop by the entrance feels like a continuation of the show in all the best ways. Yes, there’s the catalogue in all its coffee-table-book glory. But there are also titles that echo the exhibition’s themes, shelves of photography books, and cool (relatively cheap) amateur cameras. And – best of all! – DIY camera kits. You can build your own 35mm camera. Or a twin-lens reflex, even! Or just grab some smartphone accessories if building feels like too much faff.
The exhibition was the exploration into how people used photography to document and explore a decade. The shop is the take home toolkit for this decade.
The 80s: Photographing Britain Practical information
Where: Tate Britain until 05 May 2025
Address: Millbank London SW1P 4RG
How much: £20, concessions available.
Tate Britain website: https://www.tate.org.uk/
Exhibition page: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/the-80s-photographing-britain
How to get there: the nearest tube stop is Pimlico (Victoria line). Travelling by bus: bus 87 has the closest stop. Bus 88 and C10 will also get you there, to the back of the building. Check out the detailed “getting there” info on Tate Britain site.
Where to go from there?
A few suggestions:
Check out the websites of Karen Knorr (https://karenknorr.com/), Martin Parr ( https://www.martinparr.com/) and Dave Lewis (https://www.vidaimage.co.uk/ )
Go see the “The Face: Culture Shift” at the National Portrait Gallery
On a more frivolous note… go thrifting in Pimlico with this guide to the best Pimlico charity shops, and grab lunch at the lovely Rosa’s Thai at the end of your shopping jaunt
Or go forth and explore Westminster next door with this exhaustive guide to Westminster.
About the author
Everything you read (and see) on this site is by me, Emma Duchat—unless I clearly say otherwise. I’ve lived in London most of my life and never seem to run out of things to explore. I walk the walk (literally), take the photos, and research and write every post. Come say hi on Instagram, too!
