Acclaimed photographer
Nick Waplington, 60, transports viewers to New York in the autumn of 1989 in this new exhibition at
Hamiltons Gallery. Waplington met fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi thanks to Richard Avedon, a mutual friend of both – the introduction turned into a productive three-year project, Waplington documenting life at the studio in downtown Manhattan by day and the city’s vibrant house and techno scene at night.
A riveting collection of these photographs is on view at the gallery until September – juxtaposing images from iconic and now defunct clubs, like The Sound Factory and Save the Robots, with images of Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, rising stars of fashion, being fitted for Mizhrai’s legendary collections.
This exhibition is a wistful witness to a bygone time, a moment pulsing with freedom and heightened experimentation and creativity that paved the way for many after. Though many of these places no longer exist and the people have moved on, the photographs still dazzle with the galvanising energy of the time. It’s easy to see why Waplington’s images still capture the imagination decades on.
