Days of Punk | Michael Grecco
Billy Idol, Boston, Massachusetts, 1982
Written by Max Wiener
“Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” is a phrase that immediately portrays a specific image. You see Robert Plant strutting across the stage of Madison Square Garden with Jimmy Page in tow, blasting iconic Led Zeppelin riffs into our ears like amplified psalms. You see David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, prancing around with the melodic strut of a ballerina. Flashes of Slash and Axl Rose jumping across stadium stages and ripping through fast-paced rock with an unmatched swagger fill your mind.
Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics #7, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980
Punk rock, however, is an entirely different animal, and the association of glamor is far beyond the movement's gritty nightclubs and leather jackets. It’s its animal and should be treated as such. Through Michael Grecco’s lens, we understand the dichotomy and grow to appreciate it more, seeing aspects of the culture that we would have never been exposed to. In his seminal new series Days of Punk, Grecco’s unwavering mastery of the camera is put on a stunning display, capturing all sides of the punk movement, from its heroes, fans, scenes, etc. Days of Punk can serve as a dose of nostalgia for those who lived it and a history lesson for those unfamiliar; his camera occupies so many different voices. The series opened on October 15th and has a scheduled closing date of January 28th.
The Clash, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981
A Grecco image has so many moving parts. There’s what appears to be a focal point, but a closer glance will have you determining your center of focus; he captures a breathtaking amount in one frame. A shot that comes to mind is Dead Kennedys’ frontman, Jello Biafra, on stage, where he, at that moment, is the center of everyone’s world. While this may be the traditional point of focus, Grecco shows each audience member uniquely, placing the spotlight on them. We focus on them and Biafra, a kaleidoscope of punk heaven. In Grecco’s world, he identifies himself as an invisible figure amongst mortals, aware of the role of the camera. His subjects pay no mind to his lens; by doing so, we see a raw, unfiltered look at a world that once was. Any other style would do punk rock a complete disservice.
Jello Biafra of The Dead Kennedys, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981
Even in singular shots of some of punk’s superheroes, Grecco has an uncanny ability to show the most minute uniqueness under the brightest spotlight. Because of his vision, the anger of Billy Idol’s stage presence yells directly at us and stamps our psyche with his clenched fist. The political angst of Mick Jones and The Clash peers right past the lens at us, recognizing us as viewers of a movement, not a song. Grecco’s work doesn’t just define the genre. It amplifies it. He preaches the lessons of sticking up for yourself and challenging authority because he can capture it so well. His images spark anarchy but also inspiration within ourselves. Through his artisanry, we go on an unexpected emotional journey through a world and time bygone.
