In the mid-1960s, Joseph McKenzie captured one of the most enduring images of Glasgow with his photograph 'Beatle Girl'. The shot depicted a young girl in the slums of the Gorbals, wearing a dress adorned with the faces of the Beatles, smiling and holding a cane. This image, along with the street photography of Oscar Marzaroli, came to define Glasgow's distinctive character, its Victorian tenements, grit, and hardiness, reflecting the city's industrial boom and subsequent bust, cycles of dereliction, regeneration, and demolition.
The exhibition 'Still Glasgow', featuring 80 photographs by artists of different generations, showcases the city's changes and complexities through the eyes of those who have witnessed them since the 1940s. The show explores music, art, activism, football, and local traditions, such as 'Gobstopper'.
Some of the artists included in 'Still Glasgow' share their personal connections to the city. Alan Dimmick describes a secret Franz Ferdinand gig in a small pub, where the electricity fused within a minute of the performance starting. David Eustace reflects on his experience recording street musicians and performers in the early 1990s, capturing a time of great change in the city. Iseult Timmermans shares her project documenting the Red Road flats before their demolition, capturing the iconic architecture and the city's history of housing developments.
Jane Evelyn Atwood recalls her assignment at the Great Eastern Hotel, where she had to wear an alarm due to potential trouble with the residents. Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan discuss their work 'Easels', which captures the creative scene in Glasgow during the 1990s. Madelon Hooykaas talks about their collaborative project with Elsa Stansfield, using a Portapak to record people's responses to questions about Glasgow.
Matthew Arthur Williams shares his portraits of artists, including Charlie Prodger, taken for the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). Khansa Aslam reflects on her photograph of Maxwell Park, capturing the changes and similarities in the area where she was raised. Keith Ingham discusses his project about the demolition and rejuvenation of the East End, which sparked his interest in photography.
These artists and their works provide a unique perspective on Glasgow's history, culture, and social changes, offering a glimpse into the city's past and present.
