Post-Punk Then and Now

by Gavin Butt (Editor), Kodwo Eshun (Editor), Mark Fisher (Editor)

What were the conditions of possibility for art and music-making before the era of neoliberal capitalism? What role did punk play in turning artists to experiment with popular music in the late 1970s and early 1980s? And why does the art and music of these times seem so newly pertinent to our political present, despite the seeming remoteness of its historical moment?

Focusing upon the production of post-punk art, film, music, and publishing, Post-Punk Then and Now offers new perspectives on an overlooked period of cultural activity, and probes the lessons that might be learnt from history for artists and musicians working under 21st century conditions of austerity. Contemporary reflections by those who shaped avant-garde and contestatory culture in the UK, US, Brazil and Poland in the 1970s and 1980s. Alongside these are contributions by contemporary artists, curators and scholars that provide critical perspectives on post-punk then, and its generative relation to the aesthetics and politics of cultural production today.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Cultural Studies, History, Punk, Essays

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Trained as a fine artist and art historian, Gavin is a writer, curator and filmmaker.

Across his diverse output, he is interested in how the social worlds and aesthetic preoccupations of visual artists can be connected, sometimes in surprising ways, to those within popular music, queer culture and performance.

Gavin has written widely on queer art and culture, showing how LGBTQ+ artists have challenged us to think again about how aesthetic judgements are routinely linked to social ones. He has published essays on artists and performers Oreet Ashery, Joe Brainard, Mel Brimfield, Shirley Clarke, Samuel R. Delany, David Hoyle, Kiki and Herb, Larry Rivers, Andy Warhol and others.

He often works collaboratively with other authors and artists on creative projects too, including as co-director of feature film This Is Not a Dream. With writer and curator Heike Roms, he is currently exploring the civic importance of experimental art and education through a new exhibition project Live Class: Performance and the Art School.

Gavin has held academic posts as Professor of Visual Cultures and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Professor of Fine Art at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

Reviews

[Jay Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit scattershot in its subject matter and theoretically shallow in its analysis of post-punk, resorting to Marxist explanations at every turn. Green Gartside of Scritti Politti comes out of it well; he alone is embarrassed by the cliches and jargon that he was using as a young art student back in the 70s. The interviewers and essayists appear to want to revive them. Nonetheless, some interesting anecdotes and a super chapter on the Leeds post-punk scene, although Delta 5, for example, barely get a look-in. Interesting for anoraks of a certain age.

[John Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some clear highlights (Lydia Lunch, Mark Fisher on the Jam, history of Vague fanzine) and a lot of interesting background on post punk scenes around the world. Captures the excitement around the promise of a new future promised by post punk without being nostalgic or trite.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was quite uneven, with some interviews/essays significantly better than the others. My main issue is that it's very anglo-centric, with maybe two exceptions, which were the highlights. I absolutely loved the chapter about Brazillian post-punk scene! It was insightful, informative and made me want to explore something I had previously no idea about.
I also liked that they didn't only focus on music, but the movement as a whole, touching subjects like film, gentrification, architecture and photography. It's worth reading.

[Rūdolfs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post-Punk Then And Now does a good job of scrutinizing post-punk, while also connecting it to politics, poetry, art, and cinema. The chapters are thought-out, with a clear emphasis on the post-punk bonds between various countries' cultures and systems, placing prominence on the UK, USA, Brazil, and Poland. The book is composed of interviews and lectures, filled with people connected to post-punk in their own ways. Each of them highlights a particular aspect of how post-punk affected their lives, making the book multi-dimensional and not too focused strictly on music.
However, a few chapters felt a little bit too political (not to undermine the importance of politics over post-punk, of course). I would have also very much appreciated more insight into the Polish and Brazilian scene, both of which were only talked about in respectively one chapter, as most of the book was anglo-centric.

A clear highlight for me was the Lydia Lunch interview which was spectacular, her flamboyant character really shows her passion for the things she loves, truly one of a kind. I can only wish I had her energy and the way she views the world.

[Stewart Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection, worth it for the excellent Green Garside interview alone.

[Peter G · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of lectures, interviews, and discussions hosted at Goldsmiths, University of London focused on the broader culture and context of post-punk music. Most entries consist of the personal reflections of someone involved in the scene, followed by academic attempts to contextualise it within broader social themes and open-floor discussions driven by audience-questions.

This book is unlikely, in all honesty, to win any new converts to post-punk music. For those of us who are already fans, however, it does a good job of introducing bands at the margins and the wider social scene of zines and art-schools and the collaborative activities that surrounded the bands themselves. I suppose nowadays, we’re pretty quick to codify even a scene as eclectic as this into two or three central pillars: Joy Division, Gang of Four, Wire etc etc. Post Punk Then and Now brings back some forgotten figures from the margin, which is pretty cool. In the end though, there’s not a lot of cohesion to the book as a whole. It sort of devolves down into a series of personal reflections that are interesting enough but quite repetitive.