An award-winning photographer who has documented every Notting Hill Carnival for the past 50 years is presenting his work in a new exhibition this week. Ian Watts began capturing the event in 1976 and will showcase his photographs at Outernet London on Charing Cross Road ahead of the carnival's 60th edition this weekend.
The exhibition, titled 'Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet', will display his images on large screens at the arts and media venue. His photographs will also be featured at the carnival itself.
From Youth Hostel to Iconic Images
Watts told Metro that he was a teenager living in a youth hostel in Kensal Green, northwest London, when he first picked up a Praktica camera costing £36 to photograph the carnival. His first experience, however, was marked by violence: amid racial tension, clashes broke out between some attendees and police, resulting in hundreds of injuries.
Caught in the skirmish, Watts took images of the confrontation that would later become iconic. He described the moment: 'I was living in a youth hostel as a teenager. I went to carnival and there was trouble between some of the crowd and the police.' He added that there were 'a lot of issues between the Met and parts of the community at the time and a section of people decided they had had enough.'
Watts continued: 'I got swept along and started taking pictures as I knew as an observer I needed to get a record of this. It was difficult as there was lots of pushing and shoving but I caught what I could through the lens. I wasn't scared, I just knew I needed to get a record of what was happening.'
A Changing Carnival, A Lasting Spirit
Despite the early violence, Watts says the vast majority of his images reflect the joy and family atmosphere that define the carnival's true character. The three-day event, which attracts more than three million people annually, begins with family day on August 29 this year.
'It's all about the joy, the music, the family, I love it,' Watts said. 'Of course it has changed over the years and is now a much bigger event. People come from all over the world. I walk around and take pictures which sum up the spirit of the event.' He noted that digital cameras have made it easier to take more photos, and that the music remains a personal draw.
Watts, who has Jamaican heritage, emphasized that carnival is for everyone: 'The carnival is a true celebration for everyone, it's a truly international event. I think there should be an expansion of the carnival and that it should be able to spread out a bit. It's such a huge draw now.'
Exhibition Details and Personal Reflection
In addition to his carnival work, Watts works as a cameraman on documentaries. His Outernet exhibition represents the culmination of a long photographic journey, he said.
'It is particularly meaningful to see photographs made with humble analogue cameras and film in the 1970s and 1980s displayed alongside my more recent digital images,' Watts explained. 'These photographs span generations of technology, but the people, energy, creativity and spirit of Carnival connect them all. For me, this is more than an exhibition of photographs. It is a record of a community, a culture and a changing London. It is a personal journey that began with a second-hand camera and has continued through many years of photography and filmmaking.'
'Carnival 60: Ian Watts at Outernet' is free and runs from August 27 to September 2 at Outernet London, Charing Cross Road.
