Johnnie Shand Kydd, a former art dealer turned photographer, reflects on his intimate black-and-white photographs of the Young British Artists (YBAs) in the 1990s, capturing figures like Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, and Sarah Lucas in candid, hedonistic moments rather than traditional studio portraits. Now 66, Shand Kydd has a new exhibition titled 'Ramsholt' at Emin's gallery in Margate, featuring photographs from his dog-walking route, which will also be published as a photobook.
This article matters because it revisits the legacy of the YBA movement through the lens of a photographer who was embedded in the scene, offering a rare, unvarnished view of how these artists blended partying with creative exchange. Shand Kydd's work challenges the notion that the YBAs were unserious, instead framing their late-night gatherings as extensions of the studio where ideas were forged, and it highlights the enduring relationships and influence of that era on contemporary art.