British photographer Jamie Morgan has always had a soft spot for photographing young people, capturing models “before they become too self-aware.” For him, they are “the most real and honest subjects.”
“I think they hold strength and integrity, simultaneously with their innocence,” Jamie says. Youth culture is the focus of Future Generation, a new portrait series of his that will be exhibited at London’s Ladbroke Hall this month. Revisiting the iconoclastic Buffalo style movement (that Jamie co-pioneered with the late stylist Ray Petri in the 80s) is just one intention behind the project, which has ballooned to a collection of 160 images — though only 30 will be displayed in the exhibition.
The show will be free to attend for the public, as well as double as a charitable event, with the proceeds from single-edition print sales going to The Dalgarno Trust. Jamie describes the exhibition as “a celebration of young people in Britain.” He adds, “In a way I have created my own vision of a future generation, one where we go beyond a strict view of gender identity, one where we all have become a racial and cultural mix, where you are not defined by your social background; in this place we are all individuals and equal. It might sound utopian but that’s the beauty of creativity, you can dream!”
The photographer cites “the greats” as his core inspirations — “Richard Avedon, Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton, Man Ray, the list is endless” — but also notes the need to keep a level of distance from external influences at this stage in his career. “Now, to be honest, I try not to be too influenced by other people’s work,” he says. “There is something to be said about looking within and inspiring yourself with what personally moves you.” The project, Jamie says, is situated in “the same space as all [his] work”, which he believes is “more about character than fashion.”
“I love that you can create who you want to be by your choice of clothes and hair, but I’ve never been that interested in the latest collection of a designer. That is their world, mine is taking those clothes to tell a story,” he explains. “At Buffalo we used fashion as a way to tell a cultural story and create an attitude, it was never just about the fashion alone.”
Jamie’s favourite image in the Future Generation series is, naturally, the portrait leading the exhibition — a facial close-up of a model named Skyla, framed by a feathered headpiece. “It says so much in such a very simple way,” he says. “There is no real fashion, just a face. Yet it is a strong fashion image and says a lot: it’s all about the intention, the attitude.”
‘Buffalo: Future Generation’ is on at Ladbroke Hall from the 29 June to the 15 July.
Credits
All images courtesy of Jamie Morgan