Rude and Reckless: Punk/Post-Punk Graphics, 1976-82

The Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea has an interesting new (and free) exhibit called Rude and Reckless: Punk/Post-Punk Graphics, 1976-82. 

The exhibit was profiled in Vogue (which I discovered after I went to see it- I must have good taste!) with a very favorable review. 

 Malcolm Garrett & Linder Sterling
Buzzcocks, Orgasm Addict, 1977 

Taken from the private collection of Andrew Krivine, the show features more than 200 posters, flyers, clothing pieces, buttons, and other Punk/Post-Punk memorabilia from 1976 to 1982. It is the first exhibit in New York focused solely on Punk and Post-Punk graphic design, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the birth of Punk Rock (i.e. the release of the first Ramones album and the Anarchy in the U.K. Tour). 

Jamie Reid & John Varnom
Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, 1977 

According to the gallery, "Rude and Reckless documents an era that produced a great burst of applied graphic-design creativity, one of the most subversive of the 20th century. Vivid, violent, and frequently acid-tongued, the works in Rude and Reckless represent one of the truly authentic DIY youth culture movements in the Western World." 

 Anonymous
Killing Joke, Wardance & Psyche, 1980 

Vivid, violent and acid-tongued are great words to describe the presentation. Not entirely familiar with the Punk and Post-Punk movements, yet  very curious, I was quite shocked at some of the images and words displayed on the gallery walls. Looking at the cultural icons and graphics coming out of the 1960s, 70s and 80s - decades preceded by inventions like the suburbs, Leave It To Beaver and Andy Griffith - you really get a good picture of just how revolutionary this artwork was. 

The exhibition featured images from both British and American artists of the time period, with artistic influences such as "Bauhaus, Futurism, Dadaism, Pop Art, Constructivism, and Expressionism." A wide array of artists, colors, styles and representations, it is easy to appreciate the genius behind the counterculture imagery: designed to invoke chaotic feelings and challenge social limits to the extreme. 

Irvine spent over 30 years collecting the articles now on display, but in the gallery's exhibition catalogue you will see each one marked with a selling price. No less expensive than any other professional artwork, it costs a hefty price to take any of the items home. 

 Anonymous
Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, 1978 

Personally I think the items look better together anyway. The gallery did a great job organizing and designing the display, and this exhibit offers a unique and fascinating look into the broader reaches of the 1970s counterculture movement- specifically the importance of graphic design in the movement's search for influence. A great show. 

* Rude and Reckless will be on display until August 19, 2011