In the pounding heat of a sweaty basement, revellers danced till 6am posing in lavish outfits and flexing their thigh-high boots. Liz Johnson Artur relives how she photographed the anything-goes spirit of this DIY oasis
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or more than three decades, Liz Johnson Artur has photographed “the people I’m with” – a characteristically modest expression that belies the radiance, intimacy and unshowy brilliance of her pictures, an extraordinary archive numbering thousands of images that celebrate beauty, resilience, community and resistance. Intimate and alive, her photographs – often shot on the fly, in streets, nightclubs and living rooms – pull you right into the moment, just before it disappears for good.
PDA, the photographer’s latest book, celebrates a bygone London underground music scene. PDA was a popular queer club night that ran monthly in a Hackney basement from 2011 to 2021. The abbreviation PDA did not stand for a single phrase, apparently. Rather, the founders playfully suggested it could stand for many things, including Public Display of Affection, Please Don’t Ask, and even Pretty Dick Available.
The club night’s fluidity and inclusivity were some of the things that enraptured Johnson Artur. “I used to take pictures in a queer club in Brixton in the 1990s. Then it was very separate, men and women. There was mixing – but this was a very different vibe.” While she’s “never been a clubber”, she became a regular at PDA. “There was a lot going on in front of and behind the DJ booth! PDA embraced everyone. They didn’t have a door policy. I was 30 years older than everyone there, but it was beautiful watching them take their space.”
