The grit and glory of punk comes to Cardiff, via a BMW showroom. Ben Woolhead finds out how, and why.
Following in the footsteps of the bands and artists it celebrates, The Fine Art of Punk & New Wave is all set to go on tour around the country next month. Not that the exhibition – a retrospective of the work of photographers Chalkie Davies and Denis O’Regan – will be calling in at anywhere as insalubrious as the sort of toilet venues that played host to the genres’ pioneers, however. No, it’ll be appearing at car showrooms – starting at Sinclair Volkswagen on East Tyndall Street on Tues 20 Feb. Some might venture that the choice of exhibition space – a spotlessly clean, glass-walled monument to conspicuous consumption – could hardly be less in the authentic spirit of punk. And yet you could also argue the exact opposite: that the move shows a striking disregard for convention, and creates the art equivalent of a guerrilla gig.
The notion that punk was born in 1977 is highly questionable. Nevertheless, last year was widely held to mark the movement’s 40th birthday, and The Fine Art of Punk & New Wave, organised by Off Beat Lounge, specialists in the field, aims to commemorate the occasion. Davies and O’Regan were both independently inspired by David Bowie’s seminal Ziggy Stardust tour. Subsequently, as photographers for the NME back when the publication was in its prime rather than a freebie advertorial, they were commissioned to shoot some of the musical firmament’s brightest stars during an extraordinarily fertile period. Neither is any stranger to showcases of their work: O’Regan has published a book entitled Images of Punk, while Sully-born Davies had the honour of an exhibition at the National Museum Wales in 2015.
While the existence of VIP “Punk Plus” tickets might get up the noses of some punk purists, those prepared to pay the extra filthy lucre will be able to enjoy a Q&A session with one of the two photographers, as well as a private viewing of the exhibition and the opportunity to redeem the ticket price against print purchases. And let’s face it: whose wall wouldn’t be improved with a photo of Debbie Harry?
The Fine Art of Punk & New Wave, Sinclair Volkswagen, Cardiff, Tue 20 Feb. Tickets: £9.50/£29.50. Info: www.offbeatlounge.co.uk/artofpunk
