Prelude: Toby launches Transgression book & Soho pop-up

PRELUDE: TOBY LAUNCHES TRANSGRESSION BOOK & SOHO POP-UP

London artist Toby Mott has just published Prelude: Transgression in the UK, the first follow-up to his call, announced in our July 12 Blog story, for fetish flyers and other printed ephemera from the 1980s fetish scene and beyond for a planned book and exhibition.

Prelude and Mott’s other books and collectable artefacts are available online, but also, until December 24, at Mott’s one-week Cultural Traffic Festive Pop-Up in Soho — details below.

Top image: Lith Li, in her trademark latex horned hood by Dayne Henderson. Lith performed a DJ set at the launch party for Toby Mott’s Prelude, held at the Horse Hospital on Dec 11 (photo: @mr_rubber_bandit)

Toby Mott, left. Right: the Colt Books shop in Soho’s Peter Street where Mott’s Cultural Traffic organisation is hosting a festive pop-up until Dec 24

Publication of the book was celebrated with a launch party at Bloomsbury’s Horse Hospital venue on December 11, featuring a two-hour DJ set by Lith Li, whose trademark Dayne Henderson Horned Hood makes her fairly easy to recognise from a considerable distance. The event attracted a number of movers and shakers from the early days of the fetish scene alongside denizens of the current scene.

This week, Mott’s Cultural Traffic organisation announced the opening of a Festive Pop-Up in Soho, featuring books, vintage publications and more. Cultural Traffic has taken over former Soho sex shop Colt Books at 28 Peter Street, W1 0AL for one week until Tuesday December 24, transforming it into “a festive pop-up, perfect for last-minute Christmas finds”. Opening hours are 11am–7pm.

Above: The back and front covers of Mott’s Prelude: Transgression in the UK book. out now

Toby describes Prelude: Transgression in the UK as a visual archive exploring the UK’s fetish and transgressive scenes from the 1980s onwards, featuring material from his collection. The book includes pre-internet items, club flyers, posters and fashion catalogues documenting this underground movement.

Prelude highlights the influence of publications like Skin Two magazine and clubs such as Torture Garden, where fashion, music and art combined. Mott’s collection traces how leather, latex, punk, and goth subcultures moved from Soho to mainstream fashion.

A sample inside spread from Prelude: Transgression in the UK

From London’s Kensington Market to Manchester’s Affleck’s Palace, Prelude offers a look into the culture that shaped ideas of self-expression, marking “a movement that continues to challenge norms”.

Published by Mott’s Cultural Traffic organisation, Prelude consists of 32 A4 pages digitally printed on 120gsm Stardream Silver, including insides and dust jacket, with centre sewn and wrapped binding. The first edition print run (300 copies) is available now from Mott’s Cultural Traffic website; you can buy a copy for £35 (or four interest-free payments of £8.75 with Clearpay), plus shipping.

More of Mott’s collection of printed fetish ephemera in another spread from his Prelude book

The Cultural Traffic website is also offering a Prelude: Transgression in the UK t-shirt at £40, plus numerous publications reflecting Mott’s longtime interest in the punk scene. We also expect a Transgression in the UK exhibition to be announced in due course.

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The Prelude: Transgression in the UK t-shirt (front & back), available from Cultural Traffic, £40