FRIEDRICHS, HORST A.
The mod subculture has always been about working-class aspiration and an obsessive attention to style and detailthe right haircuts, shoes, records, shirts, wheels. The goal is to live and look impeccably neat, no matter ones background. From Alfie, the Beatles, and the Who to Paul Weller, Duffy, and the Rifles, the urbane look is revived again and again as each generation rediscovers what it means to be a mod. Today, across Britain, the lifestyle is still going strong, and it is lovingly recorded here by photographer Friedrichs. His passion for all things mod extends from high-end fashion accessories to an appreciation of the subculture itselfthe endless dance parties, Vespa rides, and a pared-down way of life that is best defined as clean living under difficult circumstances. Shot in Margate, Scarborough, Brighton, or London, Friedrichs photos could be right out of 1966 in the way they capture the essence of mod. This sensitive portrayal of Britains mod community of the past decade offers unique insight into the diversity of the contemporary mod scene.
