PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE 1980s 1980s Britain. A payload of nostalgia, a time bomb of memories. Football hooliganism, Acid House parties, shoulder pads, yuppies, Charles and Diana, unemployment, bewildering advertisements aimed to educate the public about HIV/AIDS and prevent its spread, economic upheaval, social tension, city-wide riots, bombings, de-industrialisation and of course, Margaret Thatcher. You’ll likely have your personal, immediately-comes-to-mind list from this divisive decade, the events of which still ricochet today.
With all seismic social, political and economic shifts there is bedfellow photography. Tate Britain has taken on the task of presenting a landmark survey which will present the decade as a pivotal moment for the medium. It’s about time for Tate to step up. Opened in 1897 and home to the world’s largest collection of works by painter JMW…