Philip Cunningham At Oxford House
Photographer Philip Cunningham took these lively pictures while working as a youth leader at Oxford House in Bethnal Green in the seventies. They are now the subject of an exhibition entitled Youth of Yesteryear at Oxford House from 22nd September until 17th December.
“In the early seventies, I was trying to get into art school but living in a small house in Mile End Place where there was no room to paint, so a friend suggested that I tried the art studio at Oxford House. I gave it a go and found myself surrounded by THARGS (Tower Hamlets Arts Group) who were mostly Abstract Expressionists.
Upstairs was an antiquated dark room used by kids from the youth club which was under the art workshop. I soon became involved and worked there for nearly five years. During this time, I gained a place at Ravensbourne Art College and used their darkroom equipment which was all new.
The tutors at Ravensbourne encouraged me to ‘Photograph everything!‘ and that was I started to do, which was how and why many of these pictures were taken. They capture an era and an effervescent energy that I still find inspirational.”
Philip Cunningham
Victor
Caretaker
Joe
Bob Drinkwater
Pat Leeder
Photographs copyright © Philip Cunningham
You may also like to take a look at
Philip Cunningham at Mile End Place
Philip Cunningham’s East End Portraits
More of Philip Cunningham’s Portraits
Cool, the amazing bell-bottoms — by the way, they are back in fashion, at least with our girls!
Love & Peace
ACHIM
Never was there a decade more immediately identifiable from the clothes! Great photos, as always.
I enjoyed looking at the photographs. The 70s doesn’t seem that long ago but then again it does. I left school in the early 70s and I can relate to the scenes. When I see photographs like these I always think, ‘where are they now?’ Thank you GA.
I’d love to know what happened to these kids, how their lives turned out etc. They’ll be late 50s and early 60s by now, my generation. I expect some will have even moved away from London many years ago, but it would be great to find them.
Wow blast from the past thank you for the photo is amazing
I would like to see more photos of myself and friends from 1970s