London was the epicenter of punk culture in the 1970s. By 1976, the scene was saturated with kids and bands embracing the lifestyle, the fashion, and the music. Legendary groups like the Sex Pistols had fans forming their own bands. The radical creations sold by Malcolm McLaren and Vivien Westwood at their famous SEX shop weren’t the only spectacle in the scene as punks on King’s Road were constantly pushing fashion to the next extreme. Michael Hoppen Gallery (also in the Chelsea neighborhood) has collected vintage photographs by Ray Stevenson, Peter Price, Paul Revere, and others that document this time period in Britain when punk had fully blossomed. The exhibition is on view through August 26. See a preview of PUNK, featuring memorable images of figures like Soo Catwoman, Johnny Rotten, and the Clash, in our gallery.
Linda Ashby, St James Apartment © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Steve Havoc, Siouxsie Sioux, ‘Debbie’, 1970s © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Sex Pistols, 100 Club 1976 © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Soo Catwoman, 1970s © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Johnny Rotten, Jordan and Vivienne Westwood, 1970s © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Malcolm McClaren, Paul Cook, Wessex Studios, 1976 © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Clash, 1970s © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Ray Stevenson, Tracy O Keefe, St James Apartment, 1976, © Ray Stevenson. Courtesy of Rex Shutterstock
Teenager, Punk Rock, 1970s © Paul Revere. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.
Teenager Punk. Yearbook pg 53. 1981 © Peter Price. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery.