The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has had on display since May 9th an exhibit entitled "Punk: Chaos To Couture" in conjunction with Moda Operandi and Condé Nast. And I was a lucky duck who got to go see it. Sadly, the museum was CRAZY strict about photo taking, so all you're left is with my thoughts on punk, the exhibit, and what it means today.
A) My mother is way cooler than I expected. I took her to this, both of us more tired than I could describe (the night before I was at the Gaslight Anthem show and she was jet lagged from a business trip), and I didn't think through what the umbrella of punk would cover.
There was lots of "woah naked people!"
Photo: coolhunting "tapas" on flickr
And an open letter to Derek Jarman on a tee shirt (the full text can be read here)
And a whole mess of crazy she just rolled with. She was even more impress when I contextualized Vivienne Westwood for her (the creator of the above two tee shirts):
B) The most interesting part of the exhibit wasn't the display, but the wall carvings. The exhibit is temporary, in an adaptable wing. The walls are moveable, adjustable, as the exhibits change and Styrofoam. Someone at some point discovered this and started to add to the exhibit. It was a refreshing moment in the exhibit. Punk, an idea based on individuality, breaking the mold, just doing what makes you happy, something that is in essence something that can't be labeled, doesn't really work in a museum. Sure, the creative efforts of the designers were all on display, but there's something jarring about seeing punk creativity on uniform, faceless mannequins, with matching floofy wigs. And here, amid all the uniformity was the visitors taking the punk attitude into their own hands. Half writing, half carving into the Styrofoam walls, the messages ran the gauntlet, from comical ("Listen To Devo") to strange ("Dina Lohan Is A Goddess") to some really thought provoking ones. The most interesting one?
Punk is about revolting against as society that doesn't think you deserve a revolution.
The quote is unattribuated, and after some brief research "Unknown" seems to have taken credit for it,
is a bit out of place in an exhibit on punk fashion, but a really good reminder of where punk comes from. The political and social side, not the angry in your parents' basement at 37 and angry at the world.
C) The most punk dress ever was missing.
D) This exhibit kicked off with the annual Costume Institute Gala, frequently called the Met Ball. The event is cohosted by Vogue and is a staple of New York high society. High society celebrating punk. The idea makes me giggle. CBGC's is now a John Varvatos store. Johnny Depp is no longer associated with the Viper Room, but rather mom friendly movies with racist undertones. Johnny Rotten shilled Country Life butter. None of this is punk! All of this is punk! This whole fucking exhibit has thrown all understanding of this subculture on my head and had me rush to the European Sculpture and Decorative Art for this:
Because I move at the break neck speed of a snail (truth be told, two jobs and some health issues have kept me down) I'm getting this post up now, one week before the exhibit closes but hey, better late than never, no?