Capturing change: artist Dave Lewis on photography, memory, and why licensing matters
© Dave Lewis. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2025. Courtesy Dave Lewis.
As part of our Image in Focus blog series, which celebrates the creative processes behind the work of our members, DACS member Dave Lewis reflects on how photography can capture overlooked histories and the importance of licensing to artists.
Lewis’ work is deeply rooted in documenting social and political change and here he discusses his photographic practice. He explores his photograph Mural, Stockwell, which along with some of his other works, is currently featured in The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain.
Revisiting the archive
It was only by looking at the photographs together - for the first time in decades - that I questioned myself: why did I shoot these images from a low angle? Why was the surrounding environment so important? Why did I shoot in black and white and not colour? Why were all the photographs shot on overcast days, like the one reproduced here? What was I thinking? This all seemed very strange.
It wasn’t until I returned the negatives to the negative file that it hit me. Next to the filing cabinet was one of those old Kodak carousel projectors and I remembered that my original idea was to project the images onto the wall so that they were as close to life size as one could get. It would have been much harder to print mural size in those days, unless you printed the image in sections which was a painstaking task.
A work shaped by its time
When looking back at Mural, Stockwell, it is clear how much it was shaped by the social climate of the time, especially the Winston Silcott case, which highlighted issues around justice and representation. That case kept coming up in the news, and it got me thinking about how photographs might prompt people to reflect on events happening around them and perhaps take or engage in some type of action. I wanted to capture the power of the documentary image to go beyond just illustrating, to a documentary image that could also inspire change.
A lot of my photography influences came from the American photo-documentary tradition, whose work dominated when I was in college. I also looked around at what was happening locally such as the anti-apartheid protests in Trafalgar Square, Jesse Jackson’s visit, and other public demonstrations. These were strong influences on my thinking, as were the ideas of Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy, even though I struggled with some of the conceptual language at the time. And then there were the artists I met, like Sonia Boyce, Keith Piper and Eddie Chambers from the Black Arts Movement, whose works were deeply inspiring.
For me, the work of black writers and artists gave me the confidence to capture what was happening around me here in the UK. My feeling was that major events and everyday life co-exist in a fluid continuum, and photography is a powerful tool for freezing moments — moments that may only fully reveal their significance years later. However, I think the centrality of an idea: standing in one’s shoes seeing the world writ large, is a through-line that continues throughout my practice.
Over time, my practice has explored how visual anthropology can intersect with documentary photography exploring the archive and working to combine the everyday (the here and now) with historical and societal observations. My work has always involved questioning my approach, reflecting critically on images, especially in regards to race, representation, identity, and belonging. My career to date has largely been about capturing images that tell stories; but also understanding - and questioning - the impact of images within varying social contexts. The social context of the photographs which were originally shown in the Reflections of the Black Experience exhibition in Brixton, 1986, is very different from their context now in Tate Britain in 2024.
Legacy and lasting impact
When people talk about "legacy," I have to admit, it’s odd to hear. I took a few pictures, you know? It never once crossed my mind that I’d have a "legacy." But here we are, and if it resonates with people, well, that’s good.
I think - what I hope - is that these images make people pay attention to the little social and political things that happen every day. When you walk to the bus stop or have a chat with someone at a café, there’s a whole history behind these moments. When people look at these photos, they’ll catch a glimpse of a history and start to see the meaning in those everyday interactions, in relation to now, even if it’s only for a few minutes. And maybe one day, people will look at these images and think, “I can’t believe that was real.”
Why licensing matters for artists
Thinking about my work being featured in the catalogue of the exhibition, licensing my work has been incredibly important. There’s this story that still makes me shake my head. Back when I was in college, a magazine asked me to use some of my photos. They told me they didn’t have much money, and I agreed, figuring it was all honest enough. Later, I found out (via other artists who had had the same experience) that the whole thing had been a bit of a performance - they’d never planned on paying. It was years before I realised that DACS could help protect artists like me from being exploited in such situations.
Licensing allows for a bit of safety, which is priceless. It gives me control over where my images end up and keeps them from being used in places I wouldn’t want. It also helps sustain my work financially, especially now that technology makes it so easy for images to be replicated without permission. And as AI and image-sharing grow, preserving the integrity of artists’ work is more critical than ever. There’s a sense of security in knowing that, if something happens, DACS or similar organisations can back you up. That’s invaluable to me.
DACS licensed the work of artist member Dave Lewis for the catalogue of the exhibition 'The 80s: Photographing Britain' at Tate Britain.
About Dave Lewis
Dave Lewis is an artist-photographer with a strong interest in visual anthropology. He is a member of the Centre for Visual Anthropology and teaches on the visual anthropology programme in Goldsmiths, University of London. He has an acute sense of how identity and environment connect, specifically his own black identity that is both shaped by environment and also complicated by it. He is a DACS Copyright Licensing member.
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