David Bowie, Adele and Rio Ferdinand are among the famous past and present residents and students of south London celebrated in an exhibition opening on Friday at the National Portrait Gallery.
The portraits include Roots Manuva, whose first album was recorded in a community studio on the Angell Town estate, fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, former soldier Johnson Beharry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in Iraq, and the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
They are displayed surrounding a new commission, a giant photograph and group portrait of 180 GCSE art students from St Saviour’s and St Olave’s school in Southwark, created by the London-based Australian artist Simon Terrill.
The photoshoot began at dusk and ended after dark in March, and involved more than 200 people including local arts students, construction lights, a smoke machine – and a DJ playing appropriate tracks – to create the spectacular glowing effect.
When the music stopped the pupils held their poses while each long exposure shot, taken by a large format camera mounted on the roof of a nearby tower block, was captured.
The school is a Church of England comprehensive for girls founded in 1562. The resulting image is the latest in Terrill’s Crowd Theory series of large groups gathered in places significant to them.
Liz Smith, director of participation at the NPG, said the gallery was proud of the commission and the Creative Connections project. “In producing this exciting new work, the gallery is proud to have worked with artist Simon Terrill, St Saviour’s and St Olave’s in Southwark.
“The gallery has ambitions for the project model to extend beyond London, and engage young people in researching and making new work about representations of self and locality.”
The exhibition is free at the NPG and runs until 6 September.
