Documenting everything from devious nightlife to the life of homeless youth, Another Kind of Life is an exhibit that crawls under your skin. It challenges your stereotypes and world view whilst playing to your inner fascination with those who live on the margins of society.
The photographs in this exhibition at the Barbican open up the lives of people who exist beyond the mainstream. Unlike the science of anthropology, which would attempt to dissect the cultural phenomenon of the outsider, these photographers simply document, and observe; and by doing so manage to transcend the supposed differences represented by these pictures to suggest a collective humanity.
The 20 brilliant photographers on show here include Bruce Davidson, Paz Errázuriz, Casa Susanna, Larry Clark, Mary Ellen Mark, Boris Mikhailov, Daido Moriyama and Dayanita Singh; and their effect on me went very deep. As I emerged from the exhibition I felt as if someone had rattled my world. Everything seemed a little different – as if I could suddenly see the people around me in a new light. This is what good art does: gives you new eyes with which to see the world.
The sub-cultures that Another Kind of Life dips into include those that involve drugs, prostitution, homelessness, gender fluidity and sexual experimentation. But what struck me while peering into these worlds was that even within their rebellious sphere of freedom and expression, there was conformity – in the sense of conforming to the norm of their group. So even in the most outrageous of countercultures, people gather together under a collective world view, comforted by what they share with their selected peers. The exhibition therefore shows the universal human struggle for community and purpose, however determined some people are to interpret this in their own rebellious way.
Jane Alison, Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican argues that this exhibition “… not only continues the Barbican’s commitment to presenting outstanding bodies of work but also demonstrates our desire to address issues that stretch beyond art and help us understand the world from new perspectives. As one of the flagship projects of the Barbican’s 2018 season The Art of Change, Another Kind of Life could not be more timely or relevant. A show that tells 20 stories by 20 photographers who all approach their subjects with a humanity and empathy that is both empowering and inclusive”.
Another Kind of Life: Photography On The Margins turned out to be an immersive experience so much more moving than I could ever have anticipated. It’s open until the 27th of May at the Barbican Art Gallery, and I highly recommend that you go and see it for yourself.
