The stages of punk emitted adrenaline-fueled turbulence of creative electricity. The sonic energy of punk in photography is captured in the symphony in stillness. Celestial juices crossed with existential surges shaped the grit, sound, lifestyle, look, vocabulary, and edge, along with the heart and soul of the punk movement. Described as anti-establishment by the establishment, punk was not that at all. It was a rebirth of a symphony in motion fueled by music, the lifestyle of a new brand, and emerging culture.
Punk Lives
The sound of punk was raw, It was fast-paced songs that were the soundtrack of a culture. Punk was a new wave of music that spawned a lifestyle. It was spitting in the eye of the glamour and glitz of disco while laughing in the face of the sellout counterculture of corporate arena rock.
Punk music was the embodiment of rage against the status quo. It was the reincarnation of individual expression. Marky Ramone put it this way, “Punk rock is being honest, believing in yourself, and doing what you gotta do. That’s all.”
Ramones photographed by Michael Grecco.
Punk is a dynamic frantic energized expression of a new world order with the chords and beats of the primal music of mind, body, and soul. It gave voice to the alienated generation who scoffed at the psychedelic utopian illusion of the counterculture and laughed at the disco balls, mirrors, and shameless narcissism of Studio 54 and Faces.
Michael Grecco experimenting with new angles, apertures, lighting, and shadows created photos that captured the energy of punk. Punk lives in the stillness of the 35 mm photos of Michael Grecco. In these snapshots of energy, the blistering guitars, thunderous drums, and primal shouts of those escaping conformity can be heard.
Capturing the Sonic Energy of Punk in Photography
Michael Grecco lived on the Boston to New York Punk music shuttle that produced iconic legends. Fate and professional prowess put Mr. Grecco at the infamous stages of the birth of Punk at CBGBs in New York City, and The Rat in Boston. As a friend, fan, and professional music photographer, Mr. Grecco documented the 35 MM dreams of punk in living black and white and color photographs.
The Rat Nightclub photographed by Michael Grecco.
Today he undertakes the monumental task of curating the thousands of images of the unique history of Punk. Captured moments in time from the shutter of Michael Grecco include stage performances of sweat-drenched bodies reaching into the depths of their souls and visions of their minds as they create, perform, and live.
Mr. Grecco had unparalleled access to the mosh pit of the punk revolution. Considered an ally and friend by the punk elite including The Clash, The B52s, The Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Bow Wow Wow, The Motels, New Order, Billy Idol, David Bowie, Adam Ant, Joan Jett, and others, Michael framed and recorded the light and darkness of unique moments in their lives.
Joan Jett photographed by Michael Grecco.
Days of Punk
The symphony of stillness that captures the sonic energy of punk in the photography of Michael Grecco is now available in HD prints through selected art galleries. Along with the art gallery quality prints, Michael Grecco has taken a deep dive into his treasure chests of photos that document the essence of music and its culture in the Days of Punk.
Each personally selected photo by Michael Grecco for the Days of Punk captures a symphony of stillness in a time of sonic energy in the world of Punk.
Michael Grecco mastered and continues to study and develop a unique photographic style where light and shadows are pivotal to capturing the essence of the subject. The Days of Punk documents a pivotal time in music and cultural history in stark black-and-white compositions that reflect the sonic energy of punk in solitary symphonies of silence.
