No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York 1976-1980.
No Wave is a new photo and oral history book documenting the highly-influential art-punk scene in New York City from 1976-1980. The book was put together by Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore and indie rock journalist Byron Coley. NYC's KS Art gallery is holding an exhibition tied to the show of photos, paintings, sculptures, and ephemera from that seminal scene. The three photos above are by Laura Levine who kindly sent them to me as a sneak preview. Top right, DNA (1981); bottom left, Alan Vega (1983); bottom right, Glenn Branca (1981). Click for bigger images. The opening party is tomorrow, Friday, June 13, from 6 to 8pm. Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and Information will perform at the Knitting Factory across the street. The gallery show runs until July 10. From the book description:
This is the first book to visually chronicle the collision of art and punk in the New York underground of 1976 to 1980. This in-depth look at punk rock, new wave, experimental music, and the avant-garde art movement of the 70s and 80s focuses on the true architects No Wave from James Chance to Lydia Lunch to Glenn Branca, as well as the luminaries that intersected the scene, such as David Byrne, Debbie Harry, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop, and Richard Hell. This rarely documented scene was the creative stomping ground of young artists and filmmakers from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Jim Jarmusch, as well as the musical genesis for the post-punk explosions of Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore and Byron Coley have selected 150 unforgettable images, most of which have never been published previously, and compiled hundreds of hours of personal interviews to create an oral history of the movement, providing a never-before-seen exploration and celebration of No Wave.Link to buy No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York 1976-1980., Link to invite at KS Art
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Art punks don't own calendars?
The books is titled Blah Blah Blah 1976-1980.
The example photos are from 1981 and 1983.
So what book are those photos from?
The individuals depicted in those photos were active during the years 1976-1980. I don't think it matters much if the photos of them were taken after 1980.
@ #1:
It's No Wave man, it's about breaking the rules.
You're lucky those pics are of the actual people.
I so want this book... it looks awesome. Not like I have time to read it, but still.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed that like 90% of books on the history of music scenes (especially of the underground types) are Oral histories? Not that I (as a historian) am complaining, I've just noticed that trend...
Mindy
That photo on the top right...
isn't that Tricia Takanawa?
You screwed up Fergus1948, you should've said, "That photo on the top right... isn't that Asian reporter Tricia Takanawa?"
vaguely related, a photography exhibition of Bay Area punk performers:
http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibition/bruce_conner
(disclaimer: I work for the Berkeley Art Museum)
That looks very cool... and there is also this (also vaguely relate):
http://www.claremontmuseum.org/exhibit1.html
I've also been running across numerous places that archive zines in my recent research, libraries and such.
Mindy
Is it me or is Post-Punk getting earlier and earlier? I thought it didn't officially die until 1984.
Alan Vega's album "Saturn Strip" is one of the great unknown R'n'R records IMHO.
Branca's noise is great as well.
Some of this stuff holds up fantastically well compared to other music recorded during the same era.
But it ain't for the masses....
Lets not forget Destroy all Monsters the Anti-Rock band active from '73 - '85 and occasionally since.
Fronted by Niagara Detroit the Singer
and Artist
Marc Masters of Wire and Pitchfork just published a book on No Wave as well. It's a great read and very thorough - it covers the music and film scenes and the aftermath, with tons of quotes and photographs. Highly recommended.
Pitchfork ran an excerpt of the first chapter:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/47828-no-the-origins-of-no-wave