THE RESURGENCE. RESEARCH + EVENT PLAN.
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THE RESEARCH
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RESEARCH INTO THE EVOLUTION AND THE RESURGENCE OF PUNKS.
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FIGURE 1Images of Punks in London. Photo by Shirley Baker. (source by Nan Levy, Shirley's daughter)
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THE PHOTOGRAPHERS. DEREK RIDGERS Photographer Derek Ridgers has spent the best part of his career on the fringes of Britain’s subcultures, capturing communities of skins, fetishists and punks with his camera. Derek is renowned for capturing the life of The Roxy- a night club in Covent Garden, London in the late 1970s. 6
The Roxy night club was the home of the Punks and whilst most people blinked and missed the short lived subculture Derek captured it all.
FIGURE 2Image of Souxsie Sioux playing at the Roxy. Photo by Derek Ridgers. (archive.derekridgers.com)
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FIGURE 3 + 4Images of Punks at the Roxy. Photo by Derek Ridgers. (archive.derekridgers.com) 9
CONTACTING DEREK RIDGERS. "Dear Derek Ridgers, My name is Ruby Sanderson and I am currently in my final year of university studying Fashion Management and Communication at Sheffield Hallam. For my final project I am curating an exhibition which will explore Punk then and now. I am huge fan of your work; and throughout all my projects I've done in and outside of university, subcultures have always been the influences and inspiration of all my work. Especially Punk. I have always referenced your work and your photographs throughout my projects and without you capturing those significant moments in time, there wouldn't be these wonderful opportunities to celebrate them. The exhibition will tell the story through fashion, photography and film. The reason I am writing to you is to see if there is anyway you feel you could contribute towards my exhibition, whether it be the permission to exhibit some of your photography, or a written piece on your thoughts of Punk then and now; which would be either exhibited or printed in a zine. I come from a working class background from Barnsley, and throughout my life it's been hard to feel part of something and I believe this is why I'm so compelled to Punk and the way it brought people together. Here in the North we feel just as politically marginalised or forgotten as we did in the age of Margaret Thatcher and the pit closure and the promise of a Northern power house has reinvigorated our voice through music, passion and culture. I believe there is an appetite for modern rebellion and Punks distinctive aesthetic is a visual shorthand for rebellion. 10
Te title of my dissertation was 'How Luxury Fashion has Bastardised a Culture in the Search of Authenticity' and this is something I want to continue to explore throughout my exhibition. You captured those real people of that time, dressing how they did because they wanted to be as far away from society as possible and I want my exhibition to really portray this and to not just let society bastardise the Punk movement to a safety pin- I want to do it justice and I hope you could help. It would be wonderful to hear back from you, and any acknowledgement would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this, Ruby Sanderson." Sent via email- 13th March 2018
The email above is the first time I contacted Derek, therefore there were drafts made of the email to ensure I approached him in the correct manor and to portray my personality and opinion throughout the email. I assumed many other students would contact him for the same reason, as he is a well known, respected photographer. So I had to create a conversation with him, and hope for a response.
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DEREK'S RESPONSE. "Hi Ruby, I’m happy, eager even, to always do whatever I can to help students. I’ve received several emails recently from students and yours is the first one to express an actual point of view. Incidentally, it’s a point of view some of the other students, would be very interested in too. However 'How Luxury Fashion has Bastardised a Culture in the Search of Authenticity’ is a title that is going to give me a bit of a problem (although I do like it as a title). It more or less fits me to a ’t’. I mainly earn a living as a fashion photographer nowadays and I’m more or less doing exactly the above. I must admit I am a little conflicted about it. On the one hand, I think I should probably stop doing this but on the other hand I think, in some ways, it helps keep the 12
subculture alive. In obviously moderated forms. Plus very few people really care one way or the other. Fashion is all about stealing ideas and bastardising what has gone before. So is music and art come to that. These days if a banker, insurance broker or dinner lady wants to wear a Ramones t-shirt and gel their hair up into a mohican to go to a punk gig at the weekend, is that wrong and who is going to stop them? The passionate punks from places like Russia, East LA, Mexico, Japan and South Korea may never have even heard of the Sex Pistols. Are they lesser punks than the British ones from 76/77? Personally I think the first rule of punk was that there are no rules. So I’m happy to help but it order for me to do this, I have to try to be 100% honest about my own position and motivations and it might not fit your thesis. Regards, Derek Ridgers." sent via email 14th March 2018 13
"Personally I think the first rule of punk was that there are no rules" Derek Ridgers 14.03.18
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FIGURE 7Image of the book used to research the photographer- Derek Ridgers.
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ARRANGING TO MEET DEREK. After exchanging emails with Derek we arranged to meet in London to do a face to face interview on Thursday 29th March at Kings Cross Station at 12:35.
INTERVIEWING DEREK.
Me: What do you think it meant to be a Punk then? Derek: I think when Punks were Punks then they were just young, lively, and they wanted to express themselves. I'm not sure they even knew what they wanted to express but I think when you're a teenager, you hear a lot of loud 16
music, and you think it's right for you. Very loud very aggressive music. I think a lot of people identified with that. Me: Do you think the Punks thought they were a subculture when they started? Derek: well, I don't know, in the early days it was so new and fresh that I just think people were thinking, yeah this is what I am going to do. This is the new thing and I like that look. But after a while I think they would have realised it became a subculture and of course within 6 months of the Seditionaries stuff you could by clothes like them in Selfridges, certainly by mid 1977, with elements of the Punk and there were people with mohawks sitting around Soho asking people if they wanted a photo taking with them, it became mainstream. 17
Me: What do you think to the association between punk and the safety pin and it's constant referencing? Derek: Well I think you see, some of the new romantics and people like Leigh Bowery and Judy Blame made the safety pin into something that was just completely beautiful. You know, not in a punk way but in a way of making it beautiful. I think anything can be art and people have taken it an ran with it, and I think that same idea has been used in fashion. Me: When did you first get into photography? Derek: Well, when I was young, about your age I had no interest in becoming a photographer, I love photography. I know this because I used to tear photos out of magazines and news papers and I've still got those things in a box somewhere. 18
I never had any interest at all in becoming a photographer. But I worked in a advertising agency with a camera kit and the boss told me one day why don't you take one home with you, to help you write about the headlines. I started taking one home and started taking photos of rusty cars or colourful painted boats and sunsets over the Thames. One night I found myself at a gig at the Rainbow with Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and Steve Wunwood. A very famous gig, it became a record and this was 73. And my wife and I we were right at the back and I had my camera and I thought why don't I go down to the front and pretend to be a photographer and in those days there were no security. But when Punk started to happen in 1977 the people were more interesting to photograph, so I turned around. 19
INVITE TO PARIS.
Figure 8A screen shot of an invitation to "no ticket. no coat"
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NO TICKET. NO COAT.
Following conversations with Derek he invited me to the event "no ticket. no coat" in Paris. The event was the launch night for a collaboration between Byronesque.com- which is the only personal shopping app of the new generation of vintage fashion and Vestiaire Collective which is a leading fashion shopping site for curated and pre-owned premium and luxury products. Both brands sell unique pieces, curated by the authority for contemporary vintage. This linked perfectly with the pieces of clothing that I will be looking at curating for my exhibition, as iconic designers like Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren come from the era of Punk and essentially are the King and Queen of the Punk aesthetic.
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Figure 9 + 10The poster of the event sent to me via email from Gill Linton
Derek Ridgers had a huge involvement in the 'no ticket. no coat" launch as he directed a short film which featured some of the iconic pieces of vintage clothing from both Byronesque and Vestiare. The video features cameos from the likes of Michele Lamy and Suzi Leenars styled by Byronesque’s fashion director Tara St Hill and takes place in Paris’s oldest club La Java. 23
COMMUNICATING. Contacting Derek allowed me to network with more people within the fashion industry. I began contacting Gill Linton CEO of Byronesque Vintage regarding the event, enquiring any information I may need prior to visiting Paris.
Figure 11 +12 Screen shots of emails from Gill. 3.4.2018
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Figure 13An image of the tickets for the event
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SHOOT DAY.
I arrived in Paris on the 10th of April and that night I had an email from Gill Linton with a call sheet attached. The next morning I assisted on the shoot of the fashion film "no ticket. no coat" at the La Java along side Derek and many others.
Figure 14A screen shot of the call back sheet 26
BTS 11.4.19.
Directed by Derek Ridgers. Creative DirectorJustin Westover Stylist- Tara St Hill Model- Carl Hjelm 27
BTS 11.4.19.
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Directed by Derek Ridgers. Creative Director- Justin Westover Stylist- Tara St Hill Model- Carl Hjelm
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Figure 15Derek Ridgers and I - the launch night of "no coat. no ticket" at the La Java, Paris. 31
ASSISTING DEREK RIDGERS. Whilst in Paris Derek had planned to shoot
the incredible Michèle Lamy at her house. So after we finished shooting the "no ticket. no coat", we headed out into Paris to find her home. Rick Owen’s wife, muse, creative collaborator and business partner, Michèle Lamy is revered as one of the fashion industry's true eccentrics. She cuts a distinctive silhouette even in the fashion circles of Paris, owing to her “gothic priestess” look and gold teeth. The image central to the page is a picture I took of Derek capturing the beautiful Michèle. The photo was taken sat out side on the balcony of her home in Paris. When we were waiting on Michèle's arrival, Derek and I did test shots around the space to see where the natural lighting was best. 32
Figure 16, 17 + 18 Are all BTS images I have taken whilst assisting Derek.
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THE PHOTOGRAPHERS.
SHIRLEY BAKER
FIGURE 19 + 20 Images of Punks in London. Photo by Shirley Baker. (source by Nan Levy, Shirley's daughter) 36
Shirley Baker was one of Britain's first female photographers to capture Britain's street culture and of the working class inner-city areas, taken from 1960-1981. 37
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FIGURE 21Images of Punks in London. Photo by Shirley Baker. (source by Nan Levy, Shirley's daughter) 39
HERE TO BE HEARD. Here to Be Heard tells the story of The Slits, the world's first all girl punk rock group, from their original formation during the pioneering days to punk rock in mid 70s London, through their individual stories of struggle, to the reformation of the band in 2005... a time period that ends in 2010 when singer Ari Up died of cancer while trying to make the film. This story; a mix of archival footage, never before seen images, and interviews with the Slits along with Punk Rock royalty. The documentary was shown at the Show Room Cinema, Sheffield. After the screening of the documentary there was a Q+A with Awith Director William Badgley and two members of The Slits Tessa and the original drummer Palmolive. I decided to record the Q+A as research for my project. Figure 22 A Promotional images the documentary off showroom.com
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Figure 23An image of the ticket for "here to be heard"
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HEAR TO BE HEARD Q&A
Tessa: It is very much to do with that generation. You're not thinking you're not doing you're just reacting to the political situation and we were just reacting. And also being girls, I felt from a childhood I just wasn't happy with what was expected of me as I think many females felt. So it was a great opportunity to do what the hell you wanted. And as you keep saying, breaking down these barriers and we did do that and I see the effect, it's to do with the attitude and the way people dressed. It's normal now and at the time it wasn't and we had to be very brave. We did get both verbally and physically attacked quite frequently. Individually and as a group and we were just reacting to what was infront of 42
of us and that is a lot of what the songs were about as well. Audience:What I want to know is at that time did you realise how influential you were being and who do you think today is picking that up and carrying it on? Tessa: I think the closet I've seen recently is the Pussy Riot girls in Russia because they are so brave and then they ended up getting locked up. But I do think we are due something for an other explosion. It is such a different world, but something has got to break because I just think a lot of people are fed up with the way we are living under these politicians and so many things need to be changed, so I'm waiting for it! 43
LOCATION GALLERIES. When deciding on the location of the exhibition I knew it had to be Sheffield. It’s home of steel work industrials and true working class people. It’s somewhere I am very familiar with, due to living here for two years, studying and working in Sheffield- all these elements have allowed me to network with the community of people which lies within it from artists to independent shop owners. However, the hard part was deciding which gallery to use for the exhibition. One of the main things that needed to be taken into consideration was the location within Sheffield. It needs to be accessible for people that don’t drive and will rely on walking and public transport. There a several galleries around Sheffield City Centre, a lot more than I initially imagined; researching into the galleries made me aware of theses and more of what is happening in and around Sheffield.
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GLOAM GALLERY. • Studio based in Sheffield • Available for hire the weekend of 27th April • £150 for 3 days ( further prices for the licensing for an event)
FIGURE 24Images of the gallery which were taken by myself when visiting the galleries. 45
GAGE GALLERY. • Gallery space based in Kelham Island, Sheffield • Available to hire weekend of 27th April • Costing £200 for four days • Opening hours- flexible and up to the exhibition
FIGURE 25Images of the gallery which were taken by myself when visiting the galleries. 46
35 CHAPEL WALK GALLERY. • Located in Sheffield • Available to hire 4-6th May • £100 for the weekend • 2 Floors to the gallery
FIGURE 26Images of the gallery which were taken by myself when visiting the galleries.
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APG WORKS GALLERY. • Gallery is located in Sheffield, near the train station. • Hires from Tuesday to Tuesday, available dates are 24th April to 1st May or 1st May to the 8th • Costing £165 for 2 rooms FIGURE 27Images of the gallery which were taken by myself when visiting the galleries.
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THE RESURGENCE
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THE VISION. For my project I am curating an exhibition which will concentrate on the celebration of the history of Punk, and what it means to be a Punk today. The exhibition will tell the story through music, photography, fashion and film and how these elements have contributed to Punk's continual evolution and relevance to this day. The exhibition will also be a fund-raiser for one of Sheffield's last Punk gig venues/ spaces called The Lughole. Due to issues with the council the it is having to relocate costing ÂŁ10,000.
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The event will be used to campaign for the venue. It will also bring together Sheffield's Punk community, artists, and local independents. The event will also celebrate and engage in the history of Punk and also acknowledging the future of it. It will also be somewhere where people can share their memories and time spent at the Lughole. 51
Figure 28Adam and The Ants. Photo by Derek Ridgers. (archive.derekridgers.com)
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THE AIMS.
1. Bring Sheffield's community together, encouraging cross cultural collaborations. 2. Raise awareness and money for the Lughole. 3. Collaborate and bring together Sheffield's independents, i.e.. Vulgar vintage shop.
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THE LUGHOLE.
FOR THE PUNKS. BY THE PUNKS. 54
The Lughole is the home of the Punks of Sheffield and others all over the world that have visited. It is free from the constraints of 'regular' venues and the rules, atmosphere and attitudes they perpetuate. The Lughole attracts bands from all over the world and brings together a wide demographic of people from all walks of life. However, the Lughole has faced threats and pressures from both Sheffield City Council and private developers. So therefore they have decided leave on their own terms rather than an eviction. The exhibition will be donation only and all proceeds will be given to the Lughole to contribute to the relocation. Helping the Punk community in Sheffield stay alive. 55
THE EVENT PLAN. ROOM 1This room will be filled with fashion, film and music. And this will be done by hanging garments/articles from the ceiling by using a short link chain. There will be garments exhibited down each side of the room. Central to the room will be a plinth with a projector sat inside, which will project a film on loop. The film will show footage of Punks in the 1970s and iconic Punk bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Slits. This will add another element and dynamic to the room. 56
There will be foam boards around the rooms with descriptions of each article on the wall, ensuring the audience understand what it is they are looking at. ROOM 2/CORRIDORIn the corridor is where a piece of Skisms artwork will be exhibited on the wall, alongside with Shirley Bakers photography. At the end of the corridor will be a Jean Paul Gaultier dress, which will be hung from the ceiling by the short link chain, it will also have a spotlight facing it from the floor to really exaggerate the dress and to make it be the main focus as the audience enter the room. 57
THE EVENT PLAN. ROOM 3The final room will be photography. There will be A3 prints of Derek Ridgers work exhibited around this room. These prints will be evenly spread out, on one side of the room there will be 5 prints and on the other there will be 4 (this is because one wall is wider than the other). On the main wall there is a fireplace where a larger scale print at A2 will be exhibited in the middle. And at either side there will be even larger scale prints of Dereks photography printed onto 1m canvas fabric.
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THE EVENT PLAN. MUSICThere will be speakers in the first room which will carry the sound through to the second and third room. However, the intention is to have the first room have all the impact filled with the garments, film and music and the final room is stripped back just to the imagery- so the audience can really focus on the power of the photos by Derek. The aim is to have a contrast between the two rooms. The music being played will be iconic punk bands and also new punk bands, to keep the idea of the 'resurgence' of Punk going. 60
THE BLUE PRINT/ FLOOR PLAN-
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THE AUDIENCE.
The target audience for the exhibition will be a mixed demographic of ages. In particular it is aimed at a younger age bracket, for example other young creatives in the community and other university students. The Lughole also has a big following of young people from Sheffield and other parts of the world who have visited the venue for gigs. With the shared interest in Punk, the audience of the Lughole will infiltrate into the audience of the exhibition. The exhibition will appeal to the generation who breathed and witnessed the Punk movement in the late 1970s and it will ignite the flame of nostalgia and recreate a time which will bring back memories. 62
FIGURE 29- Image taken at the Lughole- punk venue in Sheffield
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DIY 64
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THE NAME. The chosen name for the event/exhibition is 'THE RESURGENCE'. The name is unique and reflects the event as it is documenting the story and the evolution of Punks and the current resurgence of the movement that is happening today. Two simple words is memorable and easy to remember. It links with the exhibition, but also rases questions of wanting to know what the exhibition is about.
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FIGURE 30Sid and Nancy, the lead singer of The Sex Pistols and his girlfriend. (Source of photo by Steve Emberton, steveemberton.com) 67
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS. The two photorgaphers work being exhibited are Shirley Bakers and Derek Ridgers.
THE ARTIST. Skisms- also known as Rikki is a Sheffield based artist who paints onto leather, denim, concrete and canvas. He is also part of Sheffield's punk community and has a huge involvement in The Lughole as he has been part of it since the venue opened it's doors in 2013.
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SKISMS
FIGURE 31Images of artwork provided by Rikki 69
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FIGURE 32Image of an illustration by Rikki, Skisms. 71
THE CONTRIBUTORS. Sheffield's independent stores1. Vulgar Vintage is one of Sheffield's highstreet vintage stores owned by Amber Savage who has offered to loan some of her archival pieces to be exhibited- free of charge. 2. Nomad Atelier is a luxury clothing shop based in Barnsley, and it is owned by Rita Britton. Before the store renamed and rebranded it used to be called Pollyana's and Rita was one of the first people to bring Avant Garde to the North. Although Rita may no longer sell brands like Yohji Yamamoto and Comme in Nomad, she still has her own personal archive that she offered to lend for the exhibition. 72
THE DATE. The date is very important to consider as it needs to be set at a time where a large demographic of people are available to attend. Therefore the exhibition will run over the last weekend of April. Ensuring that it isn't a bank holiday weekend, a religious holiday or that it doesn't collide with any other major events in Sheffield. With the event running over a weekend it allows those who study during the week or that have a 9-5 job to have the opportunity to come during their leisure time. The chosen weekend for the exhibition is the Friday the 27th April until Sunday the 29th. 73
THE LOCATION.
The location of the event is Sheffield, this links to the exhibition as one of the main goals of is to bring the Sheffield community together, whether it be the contributors taking part or those attending. As the event is a curated exhibition it the location will be at a gallery called APG Works. The gallery is central to Sheffield, it is very accessible and is easy to get to as there is a train station 0.3 miles away, which is approximately a 12 minute walk. APG Works is a well-known and respected gallery in Sheffield, especially for supporting students with their shows. 74
FIGURE 34Images of the gallery which were taken by myself when visiting the galleries. 75
SPONSORSHIP. There's one potential sponsorships for 'the resurgence' exhibition, and that is a sponsorship from the BrewDog, which is a multinational brewery and pub chain and there is a venue right in the centre of Sheffield on Division street. The idea first came to mind when recognising one of their bottled beers called "Punk IPA" as this would fit in with the whole ethos of "the resurgence" as it is an exhibition about Punks. The beer provided would be for the opening night of the exhibition. It was also clear to see that it would be something that Brewdog would be interested in sponsoring as they sponsor other similar events. For example BrewDog have teamed up with Dr Martens before in the past. 76
"We’ve teamed up with our friends at BrewDog to provide free beer in-store, on top of this you can collect a free wrist band at the gig to receive a free burger or pizza in your local Brewdog bar when you purchase a pint of Punk IPA. So enjoy a night of Brewdog Punk IPA, live music and 20% off student discount" (Dr.Martens Blog, 2018). A similar approach could be taken at the exhibition. If Brewdog was to provide the free beer and a discount card for pizza alongside it this would then advertise their company to the audience at the exhibition and not only that the offer of discount pizza would encourage the audience to then visit one of their venues. 77
BUDGET AND COSTING. 1. Gallery hire - £200 2. Printing for flyers - £60 3. Printing for Derek Ridgers photography free 4. Printing for Shirley Bakers photography £60 5. 30m metal chain - £40 6. Metal Hangers - £15 7. Metal bulldog clips - £12 8. Projector - £70 9. Photo frames - £18 10. Fabric whole puncher - £6 11. Canvas printing fabric - £17 12. Foam boards - £9 78
MARKETING. The exhibition will be marketed mainly via online social media platforms i.e instagram, facebook. But also the exhibition will be marketed via distribution of flyers and posters around Sheffield. Mainly in vintage and vinyl/record shops. The main fashion contributors to the exhibition are the owners of the vintage shops in Sheffield so they will be more than happy to promote the event. The Lughole has also agreed to help promote the exhibition through their social media platforms as the more people who will go to the event the more money will be raised for the venue. 79
EVIDENCE OF MARKETING. These images are all screenshots from pages in Instagram. The first image is of Derek Ridgers post.
Syd and Mallory is a vintage shop in Sheffield who also have a lot of involvement with supporting the Lughole.
This is a screenshot of the Lughole promoting the exhibition. The followers of their instagram will be the most important people to reach as they will share the
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same interest.
Vulgar Vintage Sheffield is owned by Amber Savage, who is one of the main contributors to the exhibition.
The Savage Sister is a online vintage, designer retailer who has a following of people who are particularly interested in designer pieces who will be potenitally interested in seeing luxury pieces exhibited at "the resurgence".
This image is a screenshot of The Lughole also sharing the event page on facebook made for the exhibition. 81
POSTER MOOD BOARD.
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FIGURE 35Images of the punk band posters are scanned from a book called 'OH SO PRETTY PUNK IN PRINT' 83
THE POSTER.
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ReferencesByronesque. (2018). PERSONAL SHOPPER. [online] Available at: https:// byronesque.com/pages/personal-shopper [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Derek Ridgers Photography. (2018). Jake Canuso for Jocks&Nerds, 2016. Styling - Salim Ahmed-Kashmirwala. Grooming - Susana Mota.. [online] Available at: http://www.derekridgers.com/ [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Dr. Martens Blog. (2018). DR. MARTENS PRESENTS: PLAY DIFFERENT Dr. Martens Blog. [online] Available at: https://blog.drmartens.com/dr-martenspresents-play-different/ [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Pinterest. (2018). Derek Ridgers: The Others. [online] Available at: https:// www.pinterest.com/pin/566749934336846795/ [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Poynor, R. (n.d.). Oh so pretty: punk in print. Ridgers, D. and Ridgers, D. (2016). Punk London 1977. [Darlington, England]: Carpet Bombing Culture. Shirley Baker photographer. (2018). Home - Shirley Baker photographer. [online] Available at: http://shirleybakerphotography.com/ [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Showroom Workstation - Sheffield. (2018). Showroom Workstation - Sheffield. [online] Available at: https://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/ [Accessed 15 May 2018]. Most of the research carried out throughout this project was primary, through interviews and using the previous case study "How luxury fashion bastardised a culture in the search of authenticiy as the main source of research as they link together.
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