Skip to content

A First Look At Saatchi Gallery’s Historic The New Black Vanguard Exhibition

Where one would expect the grey or white walls typical of exhibition spaces, curator Antwaun Sargent has chosen to go against the grain because “these are young photographers, the images are vibrant and optimistic, so I wanted to break, in every way, from the traditional way we have viewed photography”. In its place are unapologetic, brightly coloured walls – from sunshine yellow and fuchsia pink to a rich inky blue and a pale turquoise reminiscent of Farrow & Ball’s Arsenic – in cavernous, light-filled rooms. The walls and glass vitrines showcase artistically placed nostalgic prints (think vintage Life Magazine covers and iconic black and white Malick Sidibé photography) as well as high fashion imagery, portraiture and moving images created by the aforementioned young photographers and their contemporaries such as Ruth Ossai, Stephen Tayo, Renell Medrano and Daniel Obasi – many of whom are closely connected to London.

SOURCE: VOGUE