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Punk Through a Lens |
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| All rock'n'roll is a combination of two things....music and image. You can
write all you like about an album but it won't change whether its good or bad.
But image is different...whether its sex or rebellion pictures sell records and a
lifestyle. You can try to describe the Sex
Pistols circa 76 but a picture makes you think I wanna hear them and I wanna look like them
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Sue
Catwoman by Ray Stevenson |
| Punk was
no different in fact it was an intensely visual experience and as such
lent itself perfectly to the medium of photography. Truth in pictures and
truth in words however did not necessarily amount to the same thing as
Jill Furmanovsky points out in the feature on her and there was still a
conflict between punk realism and the glossy airbrushed images of pop
dreams. It was also possibly the first and last youth movement where
its followers were as photogenic as the bands and in the initial stages
received equal prominence. No book on punk is complete without the famous
punk photos from the era and its the same for this site. This site uses
images from all the photographers below (without gain).
The following is
to acknowledge this and to recognise their part in the rise of
punk rock. Some of these photographers were seasoned pros, others got into
it by chance but for the most part it was right place right time. With
there being only 3 music papers at the time, Melody Maker, New
musical Express and Sounds, and the fanzine Sniffing Glue image was
important to define your genre of music. All the below contributed
pictures to the aforementioned as freelancers. Its gratifying to note that
there's a fair amount of women photographers . Click
on the punk images for larger versions.
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Ray Stevenson |
Erica Echenberg |
Adrian Boot |
| Previously worked for underground papers like Oz and
International Times and photographed stars like Marc Bolan
and David Bowie before disillusioned went in semi retirement. All this
changed in 1976 when he and his brother Nils went to work for the
Pistols. Like I said right place right time and his photos capture all
the major figures and bands in the beginning of punk and featured in the
major weekly music papers. It made his fortune as later books like 'The
Sex Pistols File', 'Vacant'and the recent
Punk Book all use his
pics. |
In my view one of the best of the bunch. Worked as
photographer for Sniffing Glue and is responsible both for
straightforward
pictures of all the bands at the time and also importantly for the punks and
punkettes who were an integral part of the scene . All the books of the time,
1999 - A Punk Explosion, Punk Rock, Punk
, Not Another Punk Book and In the Gutter used her pictures as did
the daily tabloids for their shock horror stories and quite rightly so.
In punk the fans were as important as the bands. See her work in 'And God
created Punk'
& 'Glue The Essential Punk Accessory' |
Regular contributor to the NME and perhaps best known for
the series of photographs of the Pistols with Rotten dressed as a teddy
boy complete with quiff. He wrote in 1977 " A single live
photograph can be worth its weight in advertising space- yet it is
within the technology of any amateur." His photos feature in
'Punk: The Illustrated
History Of A Musical Revolution' |
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Johnny
Rotten
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Punks
& Punkettes At The Roxy
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Johnny
Rotten
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Ian Dickson. Freelance photographer
and contributor to Sounds. His photo of Mr Rotten graces said persons
autobiography No
Blacks, Dogs or Irishmen. A fine selection of
photographs are in the recently released book Flash Bang
Wallop! Great
action photos of The Jam |
Arri Up -
The Slits |
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The Clash |
Denis
O'Regan.
Photography was a
side line for this contributor to Sounds and the like and featured all
the main protagonists. Some of the most memorable being the Anti
Nazi league Rally his photos of the Clash and Sid Vicious.
Collection of Photos in Images Of Punk |
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Mick Mercer.
Erstwhile creator of
fanzine Panache and later editor of Zigzag. Some great pictures of
lesser known bands. Johnny Curious to the more famous Slits. Currently
selling his collection of photos on cd rom. |
Gaye
Advert - The Adverts |
| Credit to the following as well. I know sod
all about you so email me .... Walt Davidson, Peter Kodick, Ralf Jedraszczyk,
Derek Ridgers, Steven Davis, Crystal Clear, Humphrey Murray, Richard Braine |
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