With a career spanning well over thirty years, Derek Ridgers’ catalogue of photography documents the raw realism of some of the most iconic figures of our time as well as capturing the genuine personalities of Britain’s influential youth tribes. Despite having taken photos of everyone from Keith Richards to Vivienne Westwood and Morrissey to Johnny Depp, the acclaimed photographer has remained ambivalent to the notion of fame instead giving prominence to the documentation of the authentic characters.
Best known for his images of British club and street culture, Ridgers has been documenting London’s youth since the early 70s. During a period of change and transformation he charted the evolution of some of the country’s most controversial cults from Skinheads to Acid House Ravers, Punks to New Romantics and every hybrid style in-between. One of life’s great observers, Ridgers’ work has continued to gain significance in the world of visual anthropology capturing the candid interactions between the myriad of tribal identities that emerged from a bygone era.