This is the first-ever photography exhibition at the Courtauld. I present in The Art Show London Live TV Friday and Sunday evenings at 6:45 pm.The acclaimed British photographer (1929–2014) was famous for his evocative documentary images of young people growing-up in Britain in the mid-1950s and 1960s. This exhibition is a time-shot of around sixty vintage photographs, which includes many of his iconic street images.
A self-taught photographer, having discovered the medium while studying at Oxford, Mayne moved to London in 1953. He became passionate about photographing human life as he found it. It was during this time he had a genuine curiosity for Southam Street, Notting Hill as he experienced that the area was "vibrating with life". The pictures he took there focused particularly on the local children and teenagers who used the streets and ruined buildings as a "playground". His work captured both the "harsh reality" of their circumstances, and their "playful innocence in the face of it".
This exhibition is a fine tribute to a talented photographer who helped "to shape the visual identity of post-war Britain" – the show is on until 1st September and I encourage you not to miss it!
Best regards
James
Nicholls Art Group
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