They wore heels, sequins and little else! The heady nights and glistening bodies of cult queer club PDA

"For more than three decades, Liz Johnson Artur has photographed the people I'm with a characteristically modest expression that belies the radiance, intimacy and unshowy brilliance of her pictures, an extraordinary archive numbering thousands of images that celebrate beauty, resilience, community and resistance. Intimate and alive, her photographs often shot on the fly, in streets, nightclubs and living rooms pull you right into the moment, just before it disappears for good."

"PDA, the photographer's latest book, celebrates a bygone London underground music scene. PDA was a popular queer club night that ran monthly in a Hackney basement from 2011 to 2021. The abbreviation PDA did not stand for a single phrase, apparently. Rather, the founders playfully suggested it could stand for many things, including Public Display of Affection, Please Don't Ask, and even Pretty Dick Available. A lot went on in front of and behind the DJ booth!"

"The club night's fluidity and inclusivity were some of the things that enraptured Johnson Artur. I used to take pictures in a queer club in Brixton in the 1990s. Then it was very separate, men and women. There was mixing but this was a very different vibe. While she's never been a clubber, she became a regular at PDA. There was a lot going on in front of and behind the DJ booth! PDA embraced everyone. They didn't have a door policy."

Liz Johnson Artur has photographed people for more than three decades, building an archive of thousands of images that celebrate beauty, resilience, community and resistance. Her intimate, on-the-fly photographs taken in streets, nightclubs and living rooms capture fleeting moments before they vanish. PDA was a monthly queer club night in a Hackney basement from 2011 to 2021 that embodied a fluid, inclusive underground music scene with no door policy. Johnson Artur, though never a clubber, became a regular and documented dancers, sweat, cigarettes, thigh-high boots and communal energy that moved to the bassline.

Read at www.theguardian.com