Bistrotheque at ICA’s Subcultures Offsite Show

Gallery on Flickr
The ICA’s ‘offsite‘ at the Old Selfridges Hotel attempts to chart the course of the leyline that runs through post-punk, underground clubland, alt.cabaret, street style, and rave. I’m not convinced they’ve achieved so ambitious a cartography: but, in the attempt, they’ve persuaded the luminaries of many a scene to prise open their archives, and tip the contents — in tantalising disarray — into a series of vitrines for exhibition.

From my world, Vogue Fabrics and Bistrotheque get a display cabinet each. Bistrotheque’s includes a slideshow of my photos from the 2007 Bistrotheque Annual Drag Ball — certainly the apex of a particular arc of the East London scene.

When David asked if I could dig out my pictures from that night, I realised my initial edit had left some rather lovely moments un-shared. I’ve gone back to the original files, re-edited those you might have seen before, and added another 10 or so that have hitherto not seen the light of day other than at my home. Enjoy.

Thanks to David Waddington for including my work. Thanks to Jim Stanton, whose guest list we were on on the night. And thanks to Helen Noir for encouraging me to go in the first place, and insisting I take my camera.