Sheila Rock’s essential punk-era photography is currently tearing things up in Asia on a touring exhibition championed by fashion designer Agnès B. It’s a natural meeting of genres for Agnès, as the 1970s movement was hugely influential in changing both music and fashion. The show features 28 photos from Rock’s book Punk+, which was published last year and contains 199 previously-unseen pictures of the most influential characters and places in punk history. The show has already visited China and the next legs are being held in Singapore (2 to 26 October at The Substation Gallery), Hong Kong (18 October to 15 November at agnès b’s Rue de Marseille boutique) and Taiwan (tbc, also at the agnès b store in Taipei City).
Rock’s photographs raise some important questions. For example, how many men were emasculated by that leather strap harness in Westwood and McClaren’s Sex boutique? Is it really possible to play a guitar like a violin, with a lightbulb? What is Subway Sect’s Rob Simmons looking so guilty about? And isn’t anyone going to give Chrissy Hinde a hand getting up? Punk really was the music movement that manners forgot…
* Punk+ is available from publishers First Third Books.
Sheila Rock
Sex, 1976
Sheila Rock
John Lydon in red coat, 1980
Sheila Rock
Jordan outside Sex, 1974
Sheila Rock
Generation X at The Roxy, 1977
Sheila Rock
Subway Sect, 1976
Sheila Rock
Chrissy Hynde, 1977
Sheila Rock
Bat Eyes, 1977
