DAVID BAILEY EXHIBITION

An impromptu trip to Bailey's most recent summer exhibition strengthened my admiration for this London born photographer, responsible for creating and documenting the Swinging Sixties aside other high profile fashion portraits.

This exhibition focuses on the changing landscapes and lifestyle of the East End from the early 1960s up to the present day. Looking at 50 year old photos of places that are just around the corner from the exhibition itself was an interesting and slightly disorientating experience, but only reinforced how much the area has transformed since the earliest photos were taken. 

The stripped back, 'under construction' aesthetic of the Royal Dock interior reflected the subject in some of the photos such as the Silvertown Docks before redevelopment went underway. Stately east London buildings with crumbling walls and working cranes are shot through barbed-wire fences and wire mesh. This can be compared to his photos of more recent years which record Stratford in preparation for the Olympic Games, whilst capturing severely contrasting cultures in the same area. An inevitable and often refreshing occurrence of modern London.