The Face Culture Shift: A Masterclass in Creative Freedom

The iconic covers and editorial shoots of Face Magazine have occupied moodboards of mine for years. As soon as I heard about The Face: Culture Shift exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, I knew I had to get tickets. At the price of only £5 (I think I spent more on a single coffee that day) there was no way I was going to miss out on seeing some of my favourite sources of inspiration in person. I will admit an hour-long traffic jam and 11am entry slot had me slightly stressed, but this quickly went away as soon as I stepped foot into the exhibition. Thanks to the array of magazine covers on the wall and Blur playing in the background, I was immediately transported into the world of the trailblazing publication.

Starting where it all began in 1980, the independent, punk spirit was present with photos that very clearly echoed the desire for a magazine that had something different. From the photograph of David Bowie on a slightly eerie train, to the almost cartoon-ish looking cover of Siousie Soux, it was clear that music was the focus of The Face before it branched out into wider cultural topics. But unlike other music publications of the time, the unique concepts showcasing the best that photographers had to offer meant that ending up on the cover signalled that you had made it in the industry. 

As I continued, I was dropped into an underground club scene. It was at this point that I noticed what people around me were wearing. Everyone's unique style really spoke to the power of fashion journalism to bring vastly different individuals together into one community. This was mirrored in the collage of pictures plastered around the room which portrayed ‘real life’ people from various subcultures partying whilst also challenging mainstream fashion trends. Another room focused on a story run in 1984 by Ray Petri, a significantly influential stylist, which included the statement ‘Read these pages as IDEAS rather than designer garments’. Working with a diverse group of creatives known as ‘Buffalo’, he styled the models on the contrary to masculine stereotypes and played on the idea that it is not the clothes themselves, but the attitude you wear them with that matters- something I think we should consider more today. 

Onto the 90’s; the decade in which Britpop took off, Kate Moss ruled the fashion world, and The Face released some of its most memorable pieces. From David Sim’s striking portrait of Kurt Cobain in a floral dress, to Elaine Constantine’s ‘Girls on bikes’, all of the photographs had a unique charm usually absent in fashion magazines. Bands that were photographed had to be done so in a way which pushed boundaries, making way for experimentation with computer graphics. The styled models were juxtaposed with unconventional backgrounds like a rocket launch or an unnaturally coloured landscape, creating surrealist and hyperreal images. Being one of my favourite themes within fashion, it was no surprise to me that a highlight was Sean Ellis’ ‘The Dark Knight Returns’, which featured photos based upon medieval imagery, the washed out colours giving a painting-like effect. 

Moving onto the 2000’s, I felt slightly less excitement from the photographs, but I know I won't be alone on that. In 1999, The Face was sold to a large media company, which resulted in a rise of commercial content over the rebellion and risk-taking of previous years. However, some images, particularly those shot by Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø, retained the surrealist elements by working with techniques such as spray painting. Despite the efforts of the new stylists and photographers, market overcrowding sadly prompted The Face to cease publication in 2004. 

Culture shift really is an appropriate name for the exhibition. Walking through the rooms from decade to decade was like opening a time capsule containing all of the most influential people, styles, and imagery, and it becomes obvious just how much of an impact The Face had on how they changed overtime. The relaunch of the magazine in 2019 means that we no longer just have to reminisce on the glory days as it returns to its roots of creative freedom.