This article reviews two significant photography exhibitions: “After the End of History” at the Hayward Gallery and “Peter Mitchell: Nothing Lasts Forever” at the Photographers’ Gallery. The former explores contradictions in working-class life through diverse artists, while the latter reflects personal and conceptual narratives of Leeds. Both exhibitions emphasise the transient nature of memory and the changing landscape of working-class communities.
The Hayward Gallery’s exhibition, “After the End of History,” challenges the notion of a unified working class amidst today’s political turmoil. Curator Johny Pitts showcases diverse expressions of working-class life, creating an experience filled with contradictions. The title references Francis Fukuyama’s claim that history ended with the Soviet Union’s fall, yet the exhibition reflects the nuanced realities of modern working-class life.
In Edinburgh’s Stills gallery, visitors encounter a blend of styles including vibrant post-acid house culture and formal portraiture. Pitts’s personal commentary adds a vital narrative element, deviating from traditional gallery text by evoking emotional connections, like the familiar scents in Richard Billingham’s family portraits. This approach crafts an engaging counter-narrative to academic interpretations.
The exhibition features both renowned and emerging photographers. Series by Kavi Pujara and Rob Clayton offer observational insights into community life, while JA Mortram’s “Small Town Inertia” portrays the isolation faced by residents in Dereham, highlighting social issues exacerbated by failing support systems. His monochrome work powerfully evokes mood and atmosphere.
Sandra George’s series documents the activism of women in Scottish working-class communities from the 1980s to 2000s, underscoring lost political engagement as communities fragment. The collection reflects a commitment to grassroots campaigning now fading from collective memory.
In contrast, Peter Mitchell’s retrospective, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” at the Photographers’ Gallery, offers an introspective view of Leeds, his adopted city. Mitchell’s colour photography mixes documentary and conceptualism, with works such as “A New Refutation of the Viking 4 Space Mission” linking science and city life in intriguing ways. His elegiac photographs capture the poignant remnants of urban redevelopment, showcasing the fragments of vanished communities.
Mitchell also explores rural landscapes, photographing scarecrows in evocative settings that blend the familiar with the uncanny. His unique perspective captures the essence of forgotten stories and familiar scenes, emphasising the transient nature of memory in photography.
Both exhibitions signal a profound engagement with working-class narratives, contrasting the past’s vibrancy with present-day challenges.
The exhibitions “After the End of History” and “Peter Mitchell: Nothing Lasts Forever” serve as poignant reflections on the complexities of working-class life in Britain. They blend personal narratives with broader social issues, showcasing both established and emerging voices in photography. These works invite viewers to engage deeply with the remnants of communities and the evolving essence of class identity, highlighting challenges and preserving memories of the past.
Original Source: www.theguardian.com