Dazed & Confused at Somerset House

It is odd to think that around the time of my birth, some 20 years ago, Jefferson Hack and John ‘Rankin’ Waddell were on the brink of producing the first issue of what was to become one of my favourite magazines during my late teens and beyond. Granted, Dazed & Confused started as a rather low-key black and white fold out poster, but it almost inevitably gained momentum and acclaim, with Rankin’s prolific photography and Hack’s keen eye for talent, making it one of the leading creative publications in the world. It is not least because of this that as I crossed London to view a showcase of the Dazed story, my expectations were set exceedingly high.

The exhibition itself is housed in a set of the more modest rooms of Somerset House, making the pieces lining the walls all the more compelling to the eye as they track the course of the magazine’s history. Unsurprisingly, the works were not just confined to the walls, with twisted rectangular beams stretching out from the centre of the rooms, the sides of each layered with reels of editorial frames, a quirky layout befitting what is a rather unconventional publication.

A theme represented heavily were the iconic portraits, celebrity and otherwise, that have set Dazed apart from most other fashion magazines, not least through Hack’s incredible eye for rising talent and alternative beauty. The corridor connecting the various spaces payed homage to all of Dazed’s front covers, allowing visitors to take a ‘literal’ walk down memory lane.

Here many of today’s household names first gained real exposure in the UK, gracing the front cover in the early stages of their career with the faces of Björk, Pharrel Williams and Eminem all lined up next to each other as well as Dazed favourite Kate Moss, whose affinity for the magazine stretches far enough for her to regularly strip down in various semi-nude editorials.

Additional shots by heavyweights such as Terry Richardson and Rankin himself showed an even more daring side to ‘simple’ portraits with depictions of a ghostly Iggy Pop and a grossly make up smeared Beth Ditto (fully clothed I assure you), both under the serene gaze of an overblown close up of the late Yves Saint Laurent, once again highlighting the different art forms Dazed has covered from issue to issue and the vast range of creative geniuses that have contributed to it.

Selecting the pieces which best reflect the last 20 years of Dazed is no mean feat, and it is with delight that I can say Emma Reeves and Jefferson Hack, curators of the exhibition, have risen to the task magnificently. The collection stays true to the magazine’s core ideals and does not simply stop at the obviously beautiful, displaying many pieces that can make for some very uncomfortable viewing. Shots from Nick Knight’s famous ‘One-in-Ten’ series, featuring women who have undergone mastectomies are on display as well an entire room filled with screens, upon which images of disabled individuals are projected, clad in attire commissioned especially by Vivienne Westwood and the late Alexander McQueen, a celebration of the alternative beauty found so often within Dazed.

With the abundance of material available for viewing in each space, it’s not hard to find inspiration regardless of background or taste, highlighting the accessibility Dazed has built upon over the years. Above all, the exhibition reflects the mixed nature of what Dazed has represented over the last two decades. Old and new readers can appreciate that it cannot simply be labelled a fashion, music or photography magazine. Dazed is one of the few ‘all-rounder’ cultural periodicals that manages to capture beauty and talent from the unconventional, quirky and often tragic parts of life but retains its accessibility by not dismissing any artist or cause as too mainstream or insignificant.

The collection stays true to the magazine’s core ideals

Whether you’ve been a lifelong fan of the magazine, want to experience snapshots of cultural zeitgeists of days gone by or simply want to catch a glimpse of Kate Moss’s nipples, 20 years of Dazed & Confused will certainly not disappoint.

20 years of Dazed & Confused: Making it up as we go along at Somerset House until January 29. Admission free.