Photographs trace four decades of London’s Black queer club culture

An archival exhibition at Great Pulteney Street gallery in London showcases photographs that trace the emergence and evolution of Black queer club culture from the late 1970s to 2021. Reunion 79-21: Revisiting Black Queer London Clubland is on display until 25 January.

The show, curated by Shaun Wallace, presents images from venues and nights including Bootylicious at Area, Vauxhall (2006), Grind at The Candy Bar, Soho (2006), Fruit Machine at Heaven (2006), The Lift (early 1980s), Kinky Gerlinky voguing balls at the Café de Paris (1990) and The Downbeat (1986). The exhibition frames this nightlife against a backdrop of racial exclusion, homophobia, the HIV/Aids crisis, gentrification and the erasure of Black queer histories from cultural narratives.

Photographers featured include Jason Manning and Dave Swindells, who offer reflections on photographing nightlife. Manning said, "Being outside of a situation or scene can be a useful position to be in" and that "the crowd will always bring their own colour to the event." Swindells described starting out by photographing family and friends, noting his early work at The Lift and recalling images of figures such as Winn Austin and Roy Inc at Kinky Gerlinky events.

The exhibition runs at the Great Pulteney Street gallery until 25 January and presents material spanning four decades; further interpretations and contexts are provided in the show itself.

Key Topics

Culture, Great Pulteney Street, Shaun Wallace, Jason Manning, Dave Swindells, Kinky Gerlinky