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Photograph - Brixton Boyz

Brixton Boyz

  • Object:

    Photograph

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (photographed)

  • Date:

    2001 (photographed)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Baptiste, Jennie, born 1971 (photographer)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Litho print

  • Credit Line:

    Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund

  • Museum number:

    E.971-2010

  • Gallery location:

    Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F, case 82EE, box 3

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Pinky, Brixton Boyz, Ragga bogle left and Ragga crouching are four photographs acquired by the V&A for the HLF 'Staying Power' project. 'Staying Power' is a 5-year collaborative venture between the V&A and the Black Cultural Archives (BCA). The project aims to explore the Black British experience from 1950 to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by the BCA.

Jennie Baptiste graduated from the LCC Bachelor of Arts Photography Course in 1994. Jennie's parents originated from the Caribbean island, St Lucia. These photographs present an important insight into fashion and styling in black British culture. Two of the four photographs - Pinky and Brixton Boyz - were exhibited in the popular V&A exhibition Black British Style (7 October 2004 - 16 January 2005). These photographs explore and document attention to detail in the art of dressing. They draw attention to the hand-made and customising of ones clothes to express personal identity. Brixton Boyz explores the use of branded and designer clothing to make fashion statements.

Physical description

A black and white photograph of two men standing facing each other with their arms by their sides.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (photographed)

Date

2001 (photographed)

Artist/maker

Baptiste, Jennie, born 1971 (photographer)

Materials and Techniques

Litho print

Dimensions

Height: 50.8 cm paper, Width: 40.64 cm paper

Descriptive line

Photograph, black and white, two men standing facing each other with their arms by their sides, 'Brixton Boyz', Jennie Baptiste, England, 2001.

Exhibition History

New Acquisitions Gallery (Victoria and Albert Museum 01/01/2011-31/12/2011)

Labels and date

Baptiste's photographs explore fashion and style as expressions of black British identity. Here, low-slung jeans and flaunted designer labels are shown alongside the colourful, hand-embellished costumes associated with Ragga, a form of reggae music. Both styles show off the body, highlighting the wearer's masculinity or femininity. Two of the photographs capture the movements of a woman dancing to Ragga music, while the more static portrait of a woman named Pinky shows how personal style can extend to interiors as well as dress. [83 words] [2011]

Subjects depicted

Fashion; Identity; Black men

Categories

Photographs

Collection code

PDP

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Qr_O1181389
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