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Punk: An Aesthetic

Text by Jon Savage, William Gibson, and Linder Sterling, Edited by Johan Kugelberg

Pub Date: September 18, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Category: Music - Punk
Publisher: Rizzoli
Trim Size: 8-1/2 x 10-1/2
US Price: $55.00
CAN Price: $60.00
ISBN: 978-0-8478-3662-8

About This Book

From posters for punk-rock bands and indie filmmakers to fanzines and other independent publications, the art of the punk movement revolutionized design in ways whose influence is still felt today, and reflected the consciousness of a counterculture with a clarity seldom seen since.

Drawing on private and public archives of rare material from around the world, this heavily illustrated book presents an unrivaled collection of punk art and ephemera that incorporates every aspect of the movement, from the earliest occurrences of punk symbolism in posters and flyers for underground bands to the explosion of fanzines and Xerox culture, and from rare photographs of musicians such as the Sex Pistols and the Screamers to the artwork of Crass, Jamie Reid, John Holmstrom, and the contemporary street artist Banksy.

With more than three hundred images and accompanying essays by Johan Kugelberg, Jon Savage, and William Gibson, this definitive visual narrative illustrates how the DIY ethic of the punk era inspired a movement in graphic arts and design whose influence is still felt among the most significant figures in the fields today.

About the Author

Johan Kugelberg is the author of Vintage Rock T-Shirts, Born in the Bronx, and The Velvet Underground: New York Art, all published by Rizzoli. He contributes regularly to several magazines, including Another Magazine. He is also a curator with a gallery in New York. Jon Savage is a journalist and the author of England’s Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock and Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture, among many other books. William Gibson is a cyberpunk science-fiction novelist and the author of numerous books, including Neuromancer, All Tomorrow’s Parties, and Zero History.

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Reviews

"Punk: An Aesthetic, is a beautifully produced collection showcasing the development of a visual language that has become a lexicon of street style that has been standardized by youth culture around the globe." ~lejournaldelaphotographie.com

"As curators everywhere scrabble for tatty flyers and ’zines that most punks’ mums chucked years ago, a new book comes stomping like Godzilla into the busy new world of punk studies. It’s a big one, complete with its own exhibition..." ~Prospect UK

"...a beautiful, excellently curated book of punk photographs, zines, posters, album covers, and ephemera...It costs $55 and is too large to easily shoplift. It is not a book for punks." ~Newinquiry.com

"With more than three hundred images and accompanying essays...this definitive visual narrative illustrates how the DIY ethic of the punk era inspired a movement in graphic arts and design whose influence is still felt among the most significant figures in the fields today." ~Forcesofgeek.com

"When it came to punk music, hard and fast ruled; technique, not so much. How that sound translated to images is the subject of Punk: An Aesthetic" ~San Antonio Express-News

"...contains an incredible collection of punk art and ephemera from all over the world." ~Complex.com

"Heavily illustrated and featuring rare artifacts from the origins of the punk movement, Punk: An Aesthetic is a necessary addition to that already top notch bookshelf of yours." ~theworldsbestever.com

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