The first piece I’ve chosen to highlight is a choreographed self portrait by Marcel Bascoulard. The series showcases multiple self portraits taken between the 1940’s up until 1978 with Marcel posed in dresses and Victorian style wear. I chose to highlight this piece due to the authenticy that bleeds through the frame. Something I realized about the concept of being punk is that it can be exhausting if its not innately apart of who you are. You can look at Marcel and just know that he couldn’t be anybody else even if he tried. To me that is the very definition of punk.

The next piece I’ve chosen to highlight is by Ariane Bergrichter. This piece showcases a collage style series of fashion outfits, all seemingly made for a particular character/individual. Some of the outfits actually look like outfits worn during the core “punk” time period. Others are seemingly “regular” but still somehow manage to feel one of one. Each outfit seems like it would empower somebody to simply exist in the world and take up space. To the average individual this may seem easy but for many its not. Punk as a culture and philosophy provides its people with an armor that allows them to do this exact act, and live their lives the way they truly desire, not how society tells them to.

I don’t think either artist intended for the work to read as punk. I think they were both just being themselves and creating what felt true to them. There’s nothing more punk than that.