Pinky
Photograph
2001 (photographed)
2001 (photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Jennie Baptiste’s photographs explore fashion and style as expressions of black British identity, often with a focus on music culture. She was born in Northwest London in 1971, after her parents moved to the city from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia in the 1960s.
Brixton Dancehall Queen Pinky adopts an elaborate style to mirror her personal image using adornment, clothing and interior decoration. Her extravagant appearance is linked to trends within dancehall music culture. Dancehall developed as a music style in Jamaica during the late 1970s, offering slower rhythms than reggae music and greater focus on the dance hall as a space for performance, especially dancing. It is known for its salacious lyrics, suggestive dance styles and revealing outfits worn by women. Although sexually provocative, the dance styles and clothing adopted by dancehall participants can also be seen as empowering forms of self-representation.
The V&A acquired four photographs by Jennie Baptiste as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
Brixton Dancehall Queen Pinky adopts an elaborate style to mirror her personal image using adornment, clothing and interior decoration. Her extravagant appearance is linked to trends within dancehall music culture. Dancehall developed as a music style in Jamaica during the late 1970s, offering slower rhythms than reggae music and greater focus on the dance hall as a space for performance, especially dancing. It is known for its salacious lyrics, suggestive dance styles and revealing outfits worn by women. Although sexually provocative, the dance styles and clothing adopted by dancehall participants can also be seen as empowering forms of self-representation.
The V&A acquired four photographs by Jennie Baptiste as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Pinky (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | C-type print |
| Brief description | Photograph by Jennie Baptiste, 'Pinky', C-type print, London, 2001 |
| Physical description | A colour photograph of a black woman with bright pink hair reclining on a pale pink leather arm chair in a room with pink walls and a pink furry rug. She wears a variety of pink items including a pink jewel encrusted bikini top with yellow butterfly detailing, pink hoop earrings, a short pink skirt, pale pink lace up high-heel boots, bright pink socks and matching jewel encrusted pink cuffs and a necklace. She also has pink eyeshadow, lipstick and nail varnish on. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. |
| Object history | In this vibrant portrait, Brixton Dancehall Queen Pinky adopts an elaborate style to mirror her personal image using adornment, clothing and interior decoration. Her extravagant appearance is linked to trends within dancehall music culture; a music style which developed in Jamaica during the late 1970s. It is known for its salacious lyrics, suggestive dance styles and revealing outfits. Although sexually provocative, many dancehall participants feel a sense of empowerment from this form self-representation. This work was a key part of the V&A’s Staying Power project; a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives which explored black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photography and oral histories. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Jennie Baptiste’s photographs explore fashion and style as expressions of black British identity, often with a focus on music culture. She was born in Northwest London in 1971, after her parents moved to the city from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia in the 1960s. Brixton Dancehall Queen Pinky adopts an elaborate style to mirror her personal image using adornment, clothing and interior decoration. Her extravagant appearance is linked to trends within dancehall music culture. Dancehall developed as a music style in Jamaica during the late 1970s, offering slower rhythms than reggae music and greater focus on the dance hall as a space for performance, especially dancing. It is known for its salacious lyrics, suggestive dance styles and revealing outfits worn by women. Although sexually provocative, the dance styles and clothing adopted by dancehall participants can also be seen as empowering forms of self-representation. The V&A acquired four photographs by Jennie Baptiste as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. |
| Associated objects | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.970-2010 |
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| Record created | February 1, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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