EXHIBITIONS

NOW!


July 6, 2012 – July 28, 2012

 
With NOW! we present an exhibition of vintage 20th century press prints.

We focus the exhibition on events, on stop-the-press snapshots that not only document but define history. There is no motion, only moments in quick succession, and in an age of media saturation we are quick to look at and dismiss newspaper stories and photographic coverage of events, not because images aren’t interesting or important, but because there are too many of them.

 

The prints in the show are vintage, meaning they were printed at the time when the photograph was originally taken. Most prints are analogue wire- or radio-transmitted images. The resulting hardcopy prints were used for the creation of magazines or newspapers, and were later stored in news archives. Many of the prints have ink stamps and news clippings on the back, and some display airbrushing or crop marks on the front. They have themselves collected history, and over time have borne witness to vast global change and upheaval.

 

These prints are thus testimony to the events of the past and reliquaries for our changing beliefs. They are valuable due to their status as historical documents, but everyone should be able to own a part of history and their affordability reflects this ideal.

Please join us for the opening of this exhibition on Thursday 5th July from 6 – 9 pm at 51 Hoxton Square.