Punk a Way of Being Artistic Movement Philosophy Cultural Expression. Music was just one facet of the punk identity. It's more than a sound, it's a whole way of being - a philosophy, an attitude and, crucially, a look. Punk was born as an artistic movement. It was a cultural expression of anguish, emotion and volume. People tired of the day's problems being covered up. They were tired of the commercialism of the world, they wanted to bring their society back to the real, raw human reality through fashion, hairstyles and music. Punk responded to the courageous realism of the politics and socioeconomic cultures of the time. The punk style rose up against capitalism, conformism and "the establishment". Thus punk sound bases were established in New York City, early punk style: Lou Reed, Ramones, Suicide and New York Dolls, Iggy and Stoogs, cleaning the psychedelic, leaving it purer. While Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones filled arenas with elaborate velvet and sequined outfits, the new rebels preferred t-shirts and Levi's. Get out of the Glam scene and 50% of the people were involved in what would come to be known as the punk scene. They dressed in thrift stores, from head to toe. The Dolls wore Levi's jackets that were small. In the mid-1970s the Ramones created a uniform, torn Levi's 505 jeans, worn from use, and black leather jackets. Television, guitarist Richard Hell, was one of the first to wear spiked hair and torn t-shirts held up by pins, and Blondie, Debby Harry, pioneered Levi's and designer goods, all mined from thrift stores. And other groups that frequented the CBGB. They had no money. Joey Ramone's torn Levi's were worn, Dee Dee Ramone's leather jacket, wrists were frayed. They weren't in fashion. At the time it was disgraceful to walk like that. And the Ramones said, that's what we are. When they started calling them punk, the revolution had already spread across the globe. And with the Ramones song, "Sheena is a punk rocker", it was the first time that slang was used as a concept. And it has expanded. Malcolm Maclaren managed the New York Dolls before returning to London, where he and his partner Vivianne Westwood built a boutique called Sex. Inspired by what he saw in New York, he combined the Dolls' exaggerated boldness with the laid-back style of Richard Hell of the Television, to create quintessentially British punk fashion and called its new clients, Sex Pistols, to promote it. Mc Laren, emulated the look and added a special touch to the hair color and styled it. At the same time, other London punks like X-Ray-Spex - led by Poly Styrene - clung to the DIY (Do It Yourself) movement philosophy and began using basic items, jeans and leather jackets as blank canvases to decorate with pins, ink and points. The UK was in a time of open conflict and discomfort. Follow The Clash, The Damned, Generation X, all nonconformists. Everyone dressed up every day expressing themselves as an artist. You could be an Artist who visually expressed yourself from head to toe on stage, or not, you could be a photographer, a graphic artist, a plastic artist, a fan or anything else. A long time later... The impact of punk came after Nirvana's success, coinciding with the rise of Generation X, a new, disaffected generation. Forty years after the beginning of punk, music continues to reverberate, in the indie and alternative movements that punk inspired. In fashion, his influence spread even further. You can see some of the simplicity rooted in Generation X, in the Indie rock uniform of jeans and t-shirts, and the continuing influence of McLaren and Westwood's vision in the completely custom jackets that have become "rigueur" for rap stars. The longest-lasting legacy of punk style cannot be reduced to just clothes and hair. It's more about the idea of being authentic, that if you do your own DIY stuff, and dress your way, get new ideas, think philosophically and have attitude, you can make the world change around you. Punk is a chameleon that changes to suit the needs of anyone who Embraces him. It was based on authenticity. Also on sociopolitical issues. Punk goes beyond any predefined guidelines. It came to represent a range of cultural ideologies and concepts. It emerged as a vein that runs throughout the modern world, from politics to art and culture. It affects people around the world, changing the way we think and feel. There is no single definition, but we have image ideas that are inherently punk. If you claim a statement or stand up against "the establishment", "status quo', are authentic or seek to be, try to understand the essence of everything. So congratulations you're punk. And...in 3 chords...come on ...; One, two, three, go!..."Well New York City really has It all - Oh yeah, oh yeah - Sheena is a punk rocker - Sheena is punk rocker - Sheena is a punk rocker now." 'Ramones'. (To read + Articles 2020, 2021 click Article Archives above, Click month and scroll down, just read)

London Punks between 1978 and 1980

   

   

London Punks between 1978 and 1980 

Ramones 1977 One of the precursor bans of Punk

Blondie 1977 Debby Harry pioneered Levi's and designer pieces, (Thrift Stores), in Punk