Return of the Rudeboy
Somerset House, London presents the revival of Rudeboy culture across the United Kingdom in their current exhibition titled Return of the Rudeboy.
Curated by photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley and Creative Director Harris Elliott, the exhibition showcases a sartorial subculture through a series of portraits, installations and set pieces. Over the course of the past year the duo has photographed over 60 sharply dressed individuals from across the UK, all of whom embody the essence of what it is to be a Rudeboy (or Rudie) in the 21st century. The result documents the life, style and attitude of this growing urban group.
The collection of images shows the subjects presenting their pure and singular sartorial swagger in locations linked to the Rudeboy lifestyle, whether it be on the streets of Shoreditch or Savile Row. Multimedia installations and set pieces will further expose the everyday details of the modern Rudeboy, from the music he listens to down to his daily grooming routine.
Originating from the streets of Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1950s, Rudeboy or Rudie came to represent the young rebels who wore distinctively sharp sartorial styles such as Mohair suits, thin ties and pork pie hats. The style was closely connected to the music movements of the time; their initial inspiration derived from American Jazz and R&B musicians as well as some notorious gangsters. As is prevalent in the Rudeboy culture, the origins were appropriated and then twisted. Now today’s young men and women have adopted the swagger and adapted the essence of the original Rudeboy but for a 21st century generation.
The previously unseen series of images and installations have been devised and designed especially for the exhibition, which remains on display until Monday 25 August 2014 at Somerset House in London.
—
