From 20th February, the influence of The Face magazine will be celebrated at an extensive show charting over four decades of the magazine’s history
Since the 1980s, The Face magazine has not only unveiled the power of youth culture but also created the zeitgeist that young people live within. Thanks to its forward thinking, creative portraiture, the magazine has always been in, and of, its time.
Now, the publication’s legacy and impact will be laid out in the first major museum exhibition of its archive.
The show, which has been curated by Sabina Jaskott-Gill of the National Portrait Gallery, chronologically showcases the most influential portraiture and fashion photography – from Ray Petri’s ‘Buffalo’ group in the 1980s to Gemma Booth’s iconic shot of Ms. Dynamite in 2001.
‘The Face has been a trailblazing title since 1980, not just documenting the contemporary cultural landscape, but playing a vital role in inventing and reinventing it. Within its pages, The Face has produced some of the most innovative fashion and portrait photography of its time – the magazine always allowed its contributors the creative freedom to react against the prevailing mood, to create a shift in culture,’ said Jaskott-Gill.
She continues: ‘I’m delighted to bring together the most comprehensive survey of the magazine’s photographic imagery to date, and would like to thank my co-curators Lee Swillingham and Norbert Schoerner for all their work in making this possible.’
Beauty’s impact in the pages of The Face have been undeniably influential, with memorable ‘looks’ making most of the magazine’s images iconic.
From Guido Paulo’s long standing relationship with David Sims in the 90s, which saw him tress the locks of Kate Moss for the magazine, to Isamaya Ffrench’s maximalist makeup looks for a 2021 ‘Sweet Dreams’ shoot.
Not only does the exhibition spotlight the changing moods of fashion and fluctuation of beauty trends, it also spotlights the changing face of technology.
It unearths prints from the early days of the publication which put the model at centre stage, whilst also spotlighting the bricolage work that came from increased use of technologies like Photoshop.
The exhibition opens on 20th February and runs until May 18th 2025. Find out more here.
Image credit: Click here.
