Kick over the statues

About

Ewen Spencer’s celebrated and spontaneous images of youth and music culture in his native UK and around the world, have kept him in demand with style magazine, global brands and the music industry for over 20 years. His acclaimed zines and books have led to two Channel 4 documentary series.

In this new commissioned project, Kick over the statues, Spencer’s intention is to re-establish a belief in youth tribes and style. This Summer, Ewen has cast young Londoners along the route of the August 2016 Notting Hill Carnival and against locations in Liverpool.

Together these cities pose a representation of a diverse youth, celebrating and enhancing the idea of a UK diaspora, through style and cultural background with an association to music and culture that recalls the history of British Subcultures and invents its own contemporary incarnations. 

The gallery installation resembles a snapshot of how photography is often encountered in the streets of a modern city. Large format images posted onto custom-built billboards are supplemented with music and projected images from Ewen Spencer’s extensive personal archive, presenting his influences over the years including film clips, book covers and records. 

Co-commissioned by Photoworks and Fabrica, co-financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union