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| The stylist Cynthia Lawrence John |
As a teenager growing-up in the late seventies, I can remember Two-Tone/Rude Boy style and the ska bands of the time. And so I loved the Return of the Rude Boy exhibition at Somerset House. First seen in Kingston during the late fifties and early sixties, this phenomenon was described by Black Style author Carol Tulloch as 'Jamaica's first authentic subcultural street style', a sharp way of dressing influenced by the New York jazz scene and 1950s mods. Arriving in London with the West Indian community of the early sixties, the super-cool look: smart suits, trousers cropped to show off white socks and loafers, and always a hat - rapidly spread. As the name suggests, this beautifully curated exhibition - I like the old suitcases - documents the style of modern day rude boys and girls.
Photographs are by Dean Chalkley and creative direction by Harris Elliott. Some of the Rude Girls and older boys are my favourites:
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| Ayishat Akanbi |
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| The ever-stylish Jason Jules |
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| Don Letts and sound system |
Good to see Pauline Black, ex-lead singer of ska band The Selector, still rocking that tomboy, Two Tone style. I enjoyed Staring at the Rude Boys and Girls so much, I've seen it twice.
Return of the Rude Boy is on at Somerset House until 25 August 2014.
Loved this exhibition and the way it was curated, highly recommend!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an amazing exhibition, right up my street. I'll try and get to see it while I'm in London for the Matisse Cut outs exhibition. Thanks for sharing it with us x
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about Rude Boys, but this exhibition looks very cool. I love the way they present the pictures in old suitcases!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make sure I see this exhibition I love visiting Somerset house.
ReplyDeletedo you know if there is there an accompanying book/catalog? for us far away peeps…
ReplyDeleteAgnes - I don't think there is, I looked around for a leaflet but couldn't find anything. Might be worth looking at the photographer Dean Chalkley's website (?)
ReplyDeleteWhat a waste of space, time and photographic paper. There was no attempt to contextualise thus so-called revival with previous eras, apart from a photo of the Wailers when they were good and a pic from 1950 of some Jamaicans wearing hats. There is only a passing reference to the violence of the original rude boy era by the ubiquitous D. Letts. (wot no Robert Elms?) Take a listen to most of the "rude boy" records of the rocksteady era, those rudies were too flippin' busy gun shootin', looting and standing up in court for Judge Dread and getting 900 years to be dressing up in this poncey clobber. The contemporary photos appeared to be destined for Jamaican Vogue if it exists - and as for the majority of the clothes - with a few exceptions were of a style that would almost certainly leave the wearer at risk of violence if they turned up at a Yard dance wearing togs like that. (Especially the white bloke with the curly tash and stupid hat).
ReplyDeleteI did however like the suitcases, the bike and the barbers chair, so it wasn't all bad (yes it was!) ed.