Four Corners, a creative center dedicated to film and photography, is presenting "A World Apart," an exhibition that captures a unique moment of transformation in London's East End during the 1970s. The show brings together rarely seen photographs that document a world that has since vanished, offering viewers a glimpse into a neighborhood caught between its multicultural past and uncertain future.
The exhibition showcases a remarkable period when Bengali migrants lived alongside old Jewish merchants and craftsmen, while dock workers gathered in the clubs and pubs of Wapping. The photographs reveal neighbors and children celebrating together during vibrant multicultural festivals in Stepney, creating a portrait of community life that transcended cultural boundaries.
However, the images also reveal streets and communities in the midst of dramatic upheaval. Desolation hangs over neighborhoods marked for demolition, while motionless dock cranes tower over empty wharves awaiting speculative reconstruction. This visual documentation captures the tension between a disappearing way of life and the promise of urban renewal.
Amid this landscape of decline, another East End was emerging. New migrant communities were establishing their place in the area, while economic downturn was displacing long-established populations. A young generation of photographers was drawn to witness the ordinary life of this moment of rapid transition and to advocate for social change through their work.
Exhibitions at the small Half Moon Gallery and the Whitechapel Art Gallery attracted local residents who came to see themselves and their neighbors through these powerful images. At a time when photography was still barely recognized in the art world, these photographers organized guerrilla exhibitions in laundromats, on housing estate walls, and on portable panels throughout the community.
These photographers were part of a flourishing community art movement that celebrated local life and gave voice to residents who were often overlooked by mainstream media and institutions. Their approach represented a grassroots effort to document and preserve the authentic character of their changing neighborhood.
"A World Apart" presents remarkable photographs by Ron McCormick and the Exit Photography collective, which included Nicholas Battye, Diane Bush, Alex Slotzkin, and Paul Trevor. The exhibition also features works by Ian Berry, John Donat, David Hoffman, Jessie Ann Matthews, Dennis Morris, and Ray Rising, creating a comprehensive visual record of this pivotal period.
These pioneering photographs offer a unique perspective on an East End that is both recognizable and lost forever. As a neighborhood whose identity has been forged through successive waves of migration, this exhibition pays tribute to the East End's strong community spirit, which remains more essential than ever today.
Four Corners has been a creative center dedicated to cinema and photography in East London for fifty years. Its exhibitions are built on a history of radical and social engagement, exploring narratives that are often hidden or marginalized. The Four Corners archives bring together the early activities of the venue and those of its neighbor, the Half Moon Gallery and Half Moon Photography Workshop, which later became Camerawork, famous for its influential magazine of the same name.
