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Hartnett - 76> Now
 To celebrate a vivid youth culture documented over the last three decades, Sosho and the PYMCA are creating Hartnett – 76 > Now, a retrospective of Paul Hartnett’s impressive photographic work that over the years has painstakingly documented midnight’s children and their club culture from around the world.
From London's New Romantics and Goths to Tokyo's Harajuku Kids, New York's electro scene and the new rock world exploding in Paris, PYMCA has selected Paul Hartnett’s work to take viewers to the heart of these scenes, to experience the real life exhibitionalism of youth captured at that time.
Using a Nikon camera bought for £10 at a flea market, Hartnett’s work has gone from photographing fans of the Sex Pistols in Chelsea's King's Road and Portobello Market, Steve Strange's New Romantics in and around London's Kensington Market and Covent Garden, making friends with the likes of 'gender benders' Boy George and Marilyn. Plus design icons such as jewellery maker Judy Blame, design student John Galliano and infamous performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Appearing in style publications such as 'i-D', 'Dazed & Confused', ‘Tank’, ‘Attitude’, ‘The Independent Magazine and many more. Paul Hartnett's work is characterised by a poetic appreciation of imperfection, personality and eccentricity. An 18-year-old Paul Hartnett took his first ever nightclub photograph using a Kodak Instamatic camera of Soo Catwoman at Bang Disco in October 1976, and over the ensuing three decades, he has amassed an archive that charts the evolution of international club culture.
In 1995 Hartnett ran the world's first club for drag kings - women who dress as men. The home of Taboo became a sensation, documenting what has become a historic landmark in gay and lesbian development.
"My pictures do not glamorise the subject. If anything it is the bloodshot eyes, gaping pores and psychology beyond the make-up that I want a viewer to probe. The often pathetic and low level functioning of reality of midnight's children and the sheep-like fashion crowd." – Paul Hartnett.
Paul Hartnett's photographic archive, represented by this exhibition, has a particular focus on individuals who work a strong 'look'. His portraits are a remarkable and fragile social document, of the inventive and excessive sides of youth through fashion. Ranging from 1976 to now, the archive contains a diverse range of images of youth in all its various guises.
Hartnett's photography and writing has been published on an international basis and exhibited in London: at the Fine Arts Society - Leigh Bowery Memorial 1996. ICA 2001. Tate Britain in 2002 and 2003 - talk and show. Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York ,1995. Kong Gallery, Shanghai, 2006 and many more.
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| Hip Hop |
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| To celebrate all things Hip Hop and the 25th anniversary of the release of the definitive Hip Hop film ‘Wild Style’, Sosho brings you ‘Wildstyles’ an exhibition that features classic rare photographs hailing back to the ‘old skool’ days.
The PYMCA have collaborated with some of Hip Hop’s grand masters to take you back to the halcyon days of Adidas shell toes and Run DMC. Wildstyles is an exhibition that takes you to the heart of hip hop, showing how this music became a way of life for a global through the eyes of those who were there. Photographers involved include names such as Normski, Janette Beckman, Eddie Otchere, Ted Polhemus, Naki, Paul Hartnett, Peter Anderson, Adam Friedman and many more…
Back in the days, the founding fathers of an emerging scene, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, could not have imagined the now global reach of the new form of music that they pioneered. Hip Hop culture exploded like a bomb from the projects of the Bronx in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The combination of Scratch DJing, Rapping, Breakdancing and Graffiti Art have formed a complete subculture, which has taken on the mainstream and won. Hip Hop is now the most popular music in the world. From the first Block parties thrown by Kool Herc in 1974 to the ultra ‘Bling’ of modern Hip Hop and R&B, Hip-Hop has gone through many stages of development. The continuous ‘re-inventions’ of the Hip Hop sound including the emerging UK Hip Hop and Grime scenes have managed to keep Hip Hop as relevant to today’s youth as much as it was to the youth of the last 30 years and this exhibition charters all territories.
“The best part of my Youth was at the same time as Hip hop the voice and culture of a generation was invented. Suddenly there was a scene, a sound and similar people on the other side of the world that I could relate to. It was as if everybody could have an identity that would speak for him or her. Just because some of us were from poor backgrounds didn’t mean we couldn’t feel rich and hip hop culture is all about showing what you can do and expressing yourself fully.” - Normski.
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