Juliana’s Summer Party, London
- Artist: Chris Steele-Perkins
- Date: 1980–9
- Medium: Photograph, dye destruction on paper
- Dimensions: image: 254 x 382 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Juliana’s Summer Party, London” by Chris Steele‑Perkins. It’s a colour cibachrome photograph from his 1980–9 series “The Pleasure Principle,” which documents scenes of leisure in Britain during the 1980s. In this image we see a sunny summer gathering in London: people laughing, playing music, enjoying a picnic—an everyday ritual that captures both joy and the social fabric of the time.
Steele‑Perkins worked with dye‑destruction on paper, giving each print a vibrant yet slightly muted finish that evokes the era’s pop‑color palette. The photograph isn’t just a snapshot; it frames a broader narrative about British identity. He also photographed other leisure pursuits—youth culture, sport, countryside hobbies—and even a portrait of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to contrast public rituals with political symbolism.
The artist himself said, “I was not interested in polemics… I wanted to re‑orientate myself.” In this image that sentiment surfaces: we see the community signaling identity and happiness through shared moments. The picture invites us to think about how public rituals cut across class and location, revealing the divisions and aspirations of 1980s Britain.
See it in person
Juliana’s Summer Party, London 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.
