The 1980s were an eventful decade in the United Kingdom and at the same time a historic turning point for the medium of photography, as Tate Britain shows with the exhibition The 80s: Photographing Britain. Both documentary and experimental photography served to represent minorities and increased the reach of strikes and protests through their media impact. At the same time, photographers found unique, inspiring motifs in this turbulent decade, making the 1980s a creative heyday for British photography. In the largest exhibition on the subject to date, Tate Britain brings together 350 photographs and other archive material that reflect the complex upheavals in society. The 80s: Photographing Britain runs from November 21, 2024 to May 5, 2025 in London.
The show features images by over 70 photographers, including Mitra Tabrizian, Maud Sulter, Paul Trevor, John Davies, Vanley Burke and Victor Burgin. Their images are dedicated to topics such as miners' strikes, the AIDS pandemic, protests against police violence and racism, various subcultures and post-industrial landscapes. The exhibition also offers a view of the political and social impact of the 1980s and the newly emerging youth culture that characterized the early 1990s.
