David Hill Teams Up With Serena Morton To Create New Gallery Space

Justin Robertson's guest edit continues as he talks us through a rather intriguing upcoming exhibition…

London based polymath David Hill has garnered a fine reputation as one of the UK’s finest Cultural Custodians: whether it be running seminal label Nuphonic, compiling rare and treasured Gospel for Honest Jon’s and Soul Jazz, or selecting the choicest roots reggae cuts for Rootikal, David approaches everything with a loving precision that guarantees the highest quality and the deepest fascination; one might say all killer no filler.

David was a fifth of the Ballistic Brothers and runs the hugely influential Rootikal reggae jamboree with Stuart Patterson and Mr Faso. A DJ with a fearsome collection, for sure, but his interests are not confined to the sonic arts. His background is in photography, not only as an artist in his own right but also as a curator with a discerning eye, one keen to share and promote the work of photographers with real history.

One such artist is Bill Bernstein who, a few dedicated enthusiasts notwithstanding, is a hitherto unheralded documenter of the late '70s New York Disco scene, a lamentable situation soon to be remedied. It was while pulling together the various strands for a book and accompanying exhibition that David was introduced to Serena Morton, a successful gallerist in west London’s Ladbroke Grove. Serena and David joined forces to convert the decrepit bookmakers adjacent to Serena’s gallery and the result is a smart new exhibition space focusing on photography.

The new gallery space opened on 30th September with the work of Billy Name, legendary documenter of Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory. The show features silkscreens prints and museum-quality vintage photographic prints that capture the essence of the 60s Factory scene. This will be followed on October 28th by some extraordinary work by Burt Glinn, who spent early January 1959 in in the company of Fidel Castro and revolutionaries as they took Havana, allowing Glinn to record the tumult that made up the history-defining events of the Cuban Revolution. Rounding off the year in fine style will be Bernstein’s celebration of the New York’s Disco culture of the late 70s, which has had a lasting influence on so many aspects of popular culture ever since. Featuring many previously unseen images, Disco – The Bill Bernstein Photographs will be published by Reel Art Press in mid November, and the exhibition at Serena Morton II opens on December 3rd.

David Hill selects 5 photographers that have inspired and influenced him: Saul Leiter, William Klein, Irving Penn, Tony Ray Jones and Bruce Davidson.

Serena Morton Gallery II can be found at 345 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5HA – find out more about it here.

Photo Credits:

Main image: © Bill Bernstein / Reel Art Press. Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs RRP £40, published November 2015 by Reel Art Press.

Second image: © Billy Name / Reel Art Press. Billy Name: The Silver Age RRP £60, published by Reel Art Press.

Third image: © Burt Glinn / Magnum. Cuba 1959: Photographs by Burt Glinn RRP £40 / $60, published October 31st 2015 by Reel Art Press.