Your Friends will all be Famous: Documenting the Rise of Blondie
In an article published on Christmas Eve, 2013, it was estimated that a record shattering eight hundred and eighty billion photographs would be taken over the course of this year and although everyone seems to love posting a ‘selfie,’ why should any of us care? Was a photograph ever something special, something worth holding instead of saving as a jpeg?
Sometimes it’s worth stepping back, if only briefly, to a time when taking pictures of your friends might mean something like documenting the ‘Advent of Punk.’
Until January 25th, Somerset House is showing an exhibition of what happens when chronic photo taking with your friends turns from a hobby to an art form and eventually becomes part of your full time gig. Because of the fact that the other half of photographer Chris Stein’s full time gig was co-founding and playing guitar in the iconic punk rock band, Blondie, a lot can be said about his contribution to both photography and music since the 1970’s.
This free exhibition of Stein’s work chronicles nearly two decades of Blondie on tour with the likes of David Bowie, The Ramones and Iggy Pop but also many intimate, never before seen moments of singer Debbie Harry during her rise as not only a punk rock singer but also a fashion icon.
As you enter Somerset House and make your way out to the skating rink populated by young families in the middle of the court yard, a peek into the decrepit London, New York, and Los Angeles apartments and green rooms of a 1970’s punk rock tour is the last thing you’d expect to find. Whether or not iconic photos of one of music’s most dedicated counter cultures featured in a well lit, pristinely clean gallery in Westminster is in any way ironic is beside the point, this exhibit is definitely worth seeing.
Although one could argue that being able to afford an apartment in New York’s East Village by playing in a punk band and taking photos seems like a time that couldn’t have existed to the selfie generation, it did and they certainly didn’t fuck around.
If you’re wandering around Central London anytime until January 25th, stop into Somerset House and check out this undeniably cool look into our recent past. Maybe you’ll be inspired to replace your camera phone with an old Nikon and like Debbie and Chris, build a dark room in your kitchen.
This post was categorised in Archive.