Top image: Chris Steele Perkins, Brothers, Red Deer, Croydon 1976. Image courtesy The Photographers’ Gallery

Youth is the ultimate muse, conjuring notions of freedom and hedonism it attracts a romanticism that translates as inspiration for creatives from all disciplines. The Photographer’s Gallery’s latest exhibition We Could Be Heroes takes influence from just this source, tracing the development of youth culture over the last century, from the conception of teenager in 1944 and onwards.

Beginning from a time of post-war optimism, when adolescents first turned their back on the tradition path from childhood straight to adulthood and carved out their own path. Eager to embrace a new order of identity, consumerism and generational liberation they seized their chance.

Featuring work from acclaimed photographer’s such as Bruce Davidson, Ed van der Elsken, Chris Steele-Perkins and Weegee, among others, We Could Be Heroes digs deep, examined the zeitgeist from a transcendent view point, examining the post-war influence on youth culture. From Magnum photographer Bruce Davidson’s immersive photographic study of Brooklyn teenage gang, The Jokers to Karen Knorr’s portraits from London ’77, the height of Punk and an iconic era in youth subculture.

Translating the freedom and raw energy of youth, the exhibition follows a progression through youth subcultures, from Teddy boys through to Punks and on to New Romantics, all with that wide-eyed joie de vivre that shapes our nostalgic ideal of youth. We spoke to The Photographers’ Gallery curator Gemma Barnett for the full low-down on a seismic set of images…

Alex James Taylor: How did you manage to get all these great photographers on board?
Gemma Barnett: Since 1971 the Gallery has been nurturing their ties with established international photographers. Therefore, when we had the chance to present We Could Be Heroes we contacted artists and estates that the gallery has a strong affliction with.

AJT: Can you describe to us the selection process behind choosing which images and photographers you wanted to exhibit?
GB: We Could Be Heroes was never intended to be a comprehensive survey on the theme of youth cultures and teenagers; rather it set out to bring together some of the most prominent and visionary photographers of the last century who had explored the subject matter.

In light of this we were pleased to feature several internationally acclaimed series in the exhibition, such as Bruce Davidson’s legendary Brooklyn Gang, one of the first subversive photo-essays of its kind, Chris Steele-Perkins’ series The Teds and Ed van der Elsken’s Love on the Left Bank.

AJT: What is the thinking behind the position of images and the organisation of the exhibition space?
GB: We curated the exhibition predominately by era, beginning with the earliest image in the 1920s by Jacque Henri Lartigue followed by the 1940s with Weegee and Bert Hardy. The exhibit continues with Bruce Davidson, Ed van der Elsken and Roger Mayne in the 1950s. The photography of Chris Steele Perkins, Karen Knorr & Olivier Richon and Al Vandenberg captured the 1970s era and the exhibit ends with works by Tom Wood and Anders Petersen, which span from the 1970s through to the present day.

We wanted the exhibition to trace the evolution of youth cultures as captured through the lens of these prolific photographers.

AJT: Why do you believe that the notion of youth is so photogenic?
GB: Teenagers so often project a wonderful optimism and rebellion towards the world. It is this energy, which makes them such intriguing photogenic and filmic subjects. They offer the photographer something interesting to focus on as they embody the notion of anything being possible.

AJT: Identity is a key theme in the exhibition, especially amongst subcultures such as Teddy Boys and punks. In Britain today there aren’t such clear subcultural groups. Do you think that the idea of ‘teenage hood’ has lost some of it’s romanticism due to this?
GB: I think the romanticism comes with hindsight and nostalgia. The Teddy Boys and the punks were first viewed as threats to society during the 1970s and 1980s. I believe we will find similar elements of our current youth cultures romantic when we reflect on it in years to come.

AJT: Do you see a lack of rebellion in today’s youth? Some may say that technology has had a diluting effect on today’s youth, do you see a change in the idea of youth since tech.
GB: The photographs in the exhibition span from 1920s France as seen in Jacques Henri Lartigue’s photograph to the present day through the works of Anders Petersen and Tom Wood. It includes a few series that look at specific youth subcultures such as the Teddy boys in the UK and the Bohemian scene in Paris in the 1950s. Similar groups came and went over the 20th century including the Mods, Rockers, Punks and Skins. The groups depicted in some of the photographs were often misunderstood and sometimes ostracized by society at large. As far as teenage culture today, while the times and the fashions have changed, its rebellious spirit is still very much alive.

AJT: Do you have a particular favourite photo from the exhibition?
GB: I have a few personal favourites but my stand out highlight would have to be Bruce Davidson. I have always loved his Brooklyn Gang series so it was amazing to be able to exhibit his prints here.

We Could Be Heroes runs until 12th April at The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW