Hypnosis Demonstration, Cambridge University Ball
- Artist: Chris Steele-Perkins
- Date: 1980–9
- Medium: Photograph, dye destruction on paper
- Dimensions: image: 303 x 405 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Hypnosis Demonstration, Cambridge University Ball” by Chris Steele‑Perkins. The image is part of his 1980–9 series *The Pleasure Principle*, a set of forty‑four colour Cibachrome photographs that capture everyday leisure scenes in Britain during the decade.
In this particular shot the photographer has captured the moment inside a university ball hall: rows of guests wearing suits, flutes, hats and evening gowns swirling around a dancing floor while the lights dimmed to create an almost trance‑like atmosphere. The subject is rendered on paper with a dye‑destruction technique that gives the colours a luminous, slightly saturated finish—typical of Cibachrome prints from this era.
The photograph measures 303 × 405 mm and sits in the Tate collection. Steele‑Perkins returned to Britain after shooting abroad and used this series as a way of re‑orienting himself: he wanted to record “the public rituals we employ in the pursuit of happiness.” In this image, those rituals are seen through the glitter of dress and the movement of dance steps, turning an ordinary ball into a momentary trance. It’s one of several images that together read as a document of 1980s British culture—youth, sport, politics, and everyday enjoyment all wrapped in a hypnotic visual frame.
See it in person
Hypnosis Demonstration, Cambridge University Ball is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
