Punk-tured Movement

PUNKTURED MOVE MENT A photographic exploration of some of the variations of Punk Culture.

By Claire Kocaj

PUNKTURED MOVE MENT A photographic exploration of some of the variations of Punk Culture.

By Claire Kocaj

This series is based around the subculture of Punk.

Whilst punk is often defined in popular culture as mohawks and loud, jarring music, there are a lot of elements to punk culture that are often overlooked.

This series in particular explores the physical movement of ‘punks,’ or lack thereof, displaying a few of the many varieties of people and costume that fall under this label. Punk represents a form of rebellion against conformity, which can manifest at any age, and appeal to a variety of personality types, not just the loud and verbose. The contrast of these elements reflect the complexity of the people themselves, with either a large amount of thought and self awareness going into the decision making process to remove themselves from the standard of measure of judgment from the general public (by use of clothing and extreme haircutsand body modifications, etc) to a natural progression that requires no thought at all...

Gin/

Studio Shoot/ Gins personality comes out in these photos, a quiet and calm contentment, fully self aware and fully accepting. On the day she seemed almost nervous about having so much attention on her, even though it was evident she enjoyed it, which is shown in the fact that there were very few photos where she was able to look at the camera. All of the clothing and jewellry was her own, all of them customised herself.

Jerkbeast/

Beats&Bass Rehearsal Studio The lead singer Brad had such a stage prescence, his almost manic way of throwing himself around the stage contrasted beautifully to the intense amount of calm his band members seemed to have around him, making his antics seem all the more like a possession.

Stumped/

The Black Hatt Geelong/ This is a thrash band from W.A. who came across to perform. The guitarist/singer was already known to me and generally a calm, avid, musician who originally studied Jazz drumming. The stage persona he developed was a sever contrast to this and a few images were overlaid to create this final one, which shows him mind movement, while his band mates, relatively loud and rowdy off stage, were almost reserved while playing.

Ruby Soho/

Studio Shoot/ A five year old who wont stop cutting her own hair until her parents give in and let her have a mowkawk. Growing up with parents who very much used to be involved in this culture, she had exposure essentially from birth. The biggest contrast is her younger siblings, who have gone completely the other way, loving pop culture. She is a cheeky individual and a beautiful and playful antagonist, and I can only hope that she retains a lot of these qualities through the years to come.

K-Mart Warriors/

The Brunny/ These individuals are well-known arounf the Melbourne-Geelong Punk community, largely having grown up amongst it. They are very encouraging in audience banter, and their performances are always incredibly natural, and very reflective of their personalities off-stage.

Goon Bag Mosh Pit/

Beats&Bass Rehearsal Studios/ I love this random action shot, as it displays the partying, funloving, inclusive side of a lot of Punks.

We are here for a good time, so come and have a drink with us.

If not, then piss off.