When I first arrived at the American Folk Art Museum I learned that the current exhibition was titled Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists. This exhibit was meant to highlight artists that were outside of the traditional professional or academic art scene. This appreciation for self taught DIY art was similar to the ethos of the early punk music scene. Thus, I believe that every work associated with this exhibit was inherently some degree of punk. Some pieces required more raw talent whereas others looked more rudimentary. When thinking of how members of the punk scene often had discourse of what it means to be punk, I thought about how they would likely argue that some works were too polished or perfect.
For my first piece I selected Joe Coleman’s “Sunday Go to Meetin”. Initially upon viewing this vest covered in pins, pendants, and personal memorabilia I thought that this looked reminiscent of the expressionist clothing frequently worn by many members of the punk scene. Upon further investigation of the objects adorning the vest you will notice that there are some pretty absurd items. Some examples include the artist’s taxidermied cat paw, locks of his wife’s hair, a devil, a pin of Lenin, and two guillotines. These items closely align with punk iconography so I think it would be fair to assume that Joe himself was a punk. It is worth noting that this vest was never meant to be worn out but rather to be a collection of memorabilia. Considering the question of whether or not it was intended to come across as punk I say no, for the simple reason that I don’t think it was “meant” to come across as anything. This piece is more akin to a photo album depicting one’s life, and in the case of Joe Coleman his life happened to be punk.
For my second piece I chose two untitled drawings from Eddie Owens Martin, also known as St. Eom. These two pieces depict Eddie Owens in many different physical forms and outfits, painting the picture of an individual exploring their own identity. The level of exploration ranges from simple changes in clothing, all the way to futuristic surreal representations of themselves. When reading the placard you learn that Owens fled their home in Georgia at just 14, moving to New York City where they worked as a fortune teller, drag queen, and sex worker all while exploring the art and culture offered by the city. Owens rebelled against their upbringing, explored and expressed their identity, and worked in taboo industries, all while enjoying the arts. Therefore, I find this individual and their art to be incredibly synonymous with the punk movement. I don’t believe that they intended to come across as punk, in part because “punk” didn’t exist yet, but rather they simply expressed themselves to the fullest, which is inherently very punk.
