RIHA Journal 0201 | 15 November 2018 The Art of the Enfants Terribles: Infantilism and Dilettantism in Punk Art Marie Arleth Skov Abstract Punk was visual as much as it was musical In recent years" art historical research o# $unk works o# art has increase% However" a thorou&h analysis o# $unk art's themes" moti#s" an% metho%s is still lackin& (his article examines in#antilism an% %ilettantism as two ke! notions within $unk art" as illustrate% b! the colla&e *'ecole %e l'art in#antile +,-./ (ransmissions" 1974) an% the su$er 8 4lm 5as *eben %es 6i% 7icious +5ie (8%liche 5oris" 1981). Analysis shows how conce$ts o# chil%ishness" noncon#ormism an% anti9authoritarianism are interconnecte% both with $unk's 5I: ethos an% its sel#9i%enti4cation as a youth movement ;urthermore" the article %iscusses $unk art's circumvention o# antithetical conce$ts" such as #ailure vs success" innocence vs &uilt" realit! vs #antas!" skill vs. incom$etence Contents Intro%uction Punk Art Com$le) <5ilettantes" rise u$ a&ainst art=< >n#ants Per%us" En#ants Terribles *'ecole de l'art in#antile, or: "In#ancy con#orms to nobo%!< >vil Im$ulses" Vile Attacks ,au&ht on Su$er 8: Das Leben des Si% Vicious (he Goo%, the Sa%, an% the U&ly Truth Aroken Heroes, Faile% Revolutionaries (he Lost Boys o# Punk 6entimental Youth Not Able an% Not Willin& In Conclusion: "Ae Chil%ish < Intro%uction C1D In 1979, youn& $unks who ha% run awa! #rom home came to @aller! AN.6 to &et hel$ with 4llin& out a%ministrative %ocuments #or the authoritiesE AN.6 was RIHA Journal 0201 | 15 November 2018 an artists' gallery with walk9in social counselin& for ki%s 1 The rooms o# the galler! were $art o# a sFuatte% house in the 6ar$hatistraat" Amster%am" an% were collectivel! use% as worksho$" communit! s$ace" art &aller!" an% Gine sho$ (his mixture was t!$ical o# the $unk movement" which o#ten unite% the artistic an% the social ;or man! ver! youn& $unks" s$aces such as @aller! AN.6 re$resente% a re#u&e in a hostile societ! It was a $lace o# resistanceE it was a $lace o# 5o It :oursel# +5I:3 in both art an% li#e 6uch interconnections between artistic strate&ies" li#estyles" an% criticism o# the s!stem can be e)em$laril! observe% in the two notions that are the #ocus o# this article? %ilettantism an% in#antilism ;urthermore" the conce$t o# the AN.6 &aller! $oints to $unk's sel#9%e4nition as a movement o# the youth an% outsi%ers C2D Punk was (or is3 <a minorit! culture #or outcasts" #or those willin& to make an% live in their own embattle% but s$ecial worl%" #or those who %i%n't 4t into societ! or who saw societ! as un4t #or themselves<" @reil /arcus e)$lains 2 (here is a stron& sense o# soli%arit! with anyone outsi%e the norm" an% chil%ren" not yet sha$e% b! societ!'s e)$ectations" became a symbol o# this (here is also a stron& sense o# chil%ren ban%in& to&ether in o$$osition to the &rown9u$ worl% <I# the ki%s are unite% H then we'll never be %ivi%e%<" the >n&lish $unk ban% 6ham I0 san& J <Be're not Kust a ban%" we're a &an& *ike the 5ea% >n% Ki%s o# to%a!<"2 %rummer Jerr! Nolan o# the New :ork 5olls sai%" citin& the sta&e $la! about a &rou$ o# youths &rowin& u$ on the streets o# New :ork %urin& the @reat 5e$ression In the $oem Revolt" 5anish $unk $oet /ichael 6trun&e wrote? <An% the chil%ren run riot H like Mowers in the li&ht H their &ame ca$tures the borin& houses H with in%ecent hair styles an% costumes <5 It is a revolution throu&h $la!" but an a&oniGin&ly vulnerable one CJD 6uch conce$ts o# youth an% o$$osition" $la! an% $ain" autonom! an% unit! are at the heart o# this surve! ;urthermore" these #ew exam$les alone outline what was inherent to the $unk movement #rom the outset? Punk was an attitu%e" not a s$eci4c art or music or lyric #orm (hou&h interme%ia $er#ormances an% collaborations between visual artists" $oets" an% musicians ha% Mourishe% in the 1960s N think An%! Barhol an% the 7elvet .n%er&roun%" :oko -no" Arian >no" /ike Lelle!'s 5estro! All /onsters" to name but a #ew N the %e&ree o# art #orms' 1 6ee Jeannette Dekeukeleire an% Harr! RuhO" Punk in Hollan%? @o% 6have the Pueen" Amster%am 2011" n $ 2 @reil /arcus, "Punk (10103< [frst $ublishe% in? The Rollin& 6tone Illustrate% Histor! o# Rock Q Roll" e% Jim /iller" New :ork 1010D" htt$s:HH&reilmarcus.netH2012H00H08H$unk-1010 (accesse% 11 December 20113 J 6ham I0" I# the Li%s Are .nite% (Pol!%or 10183 2 Jerr! Nolan" Fuote% in Aeaver ,ount! (imes" 20 ;ebruar! 1012" 12 5 /ichael 6trun&e" Revolt [1081D" in? /ichael 6trun&e" A 7ir&in #rom a ,hill! 5eca%e" transl Aente >lsworth" (o%mor%en 2000" 21 RIHA Journal 0201 | 15 November 2018 #usion reache% a new hi&h in $unk Nonetheless" $unk is o#ten $er#unctoril! associate% onl! with its musical an% #ashion outbursts in New :ork in 1975 an% *on%on in 1976. (he $henomenon o# $unk" however" merits a much broa%er un%erstan%in& re&ar%in& its time frame" &eo&ra$hical reach, an% the variet! o# its e)$ressions (his +re)assessment inclu%es the notion that $unk" as @eral% /att #ormulates it" mani#este% <%iRerentl! yet consistentl!<I in %iRerent cultural s$heres" an%" relate%l!" the reco&nition that $unk is %ee$l! embe%%e% in its $re9 an% post9notions (new wave, no wave, dark wave, in%ustrial, har%core, queercore" etc 3 ;urthermore" collective structures (artists &rou$s an% ban%s3 are $ronounce% within punk art as well as within punk music 1 C2D In com$arison to music" social" an% cultural stu%ies" the e)$loration o# $unk is relativel! new within art histor! 8 (his article there#ore be&ins with a (ver!3 short intro%uction to $unk art" an% then seeks to examine the si&ni4cance an% interconnecte%ness o# two key notions – dilettantism an% in#antilism – within punk art an% to Kuxta$ose this %ouble case stu%! with 5a%a an% 6urrealist $ositions" as the most relevant art historical $recursors in this case (wo $ara%i&matic artworks b! artists who are associate% with $unk are then consi%ere% in9%e$th? the colla&e *'ecole %e l'art in#antile +(he 6chool o# In#antile Art" 1974) b! the >n&lish &rou$ ,-./ (ransmissions an% the su$er 8 4lm 5as *eben %es 6i% 7icious +(he *i#e o# 6i% 7icious" 1981) b! the Best @erman &rou$ 5ie (8%liche 5oris (that is" (he 5ea%l! 5oris3 (he results o# the artworks' analyses are subseFuentl! %iscusse% in relation to a broa%er $ers$ective on in#antilism an% %ilettantism (an% their entan&le% meanin&s3 in punk Punk Art ,om$le) C5D <Bhat is $unk artS<" asks @lenn -'Arien in the 2008 exhibition catalo&ue No -ne Is Innocent? Lunst N 6til N Revolte <(hat is about as %iTcult to answer as the Fuestion what is $unk music" an% even more subtle" even more elusive Aut no I @eral% /att" <7orwort<" in? Punk: No -ne Is Innocent Lunst N 6til N Revolte" e)h cat Lunsthalle Bien" e%s. @eral% /att an% Thomas /ieU&an&" Nurember& 2008" 1 1 The author recentl! submitte% her Ph5 thesis P.NL AR(? An >)$loration ;our ,ase 6tu%ies #rom *on%on" Best Aerlin" Amster%am" an% ,o$enha&en" 1012–1082" in which these to$ics are e)tensivel! a%%resse% 8 6ee" e & " /ark 6la%en an% Ariella :e%&ar" e%s." Panic Attack! Art in the Punk :ears" *on%on 2001E Punk: No -ne Is Innocent Lunst N 6til N Revolte" e)h cat Lunsthalle Bien" e%s. @eral% /att an% Thomas /ieU&an&" Nurember& 2008E Vric %e ,hasse!" e% " >uro$unk: The 7isual ,ulture o# Punk in >uro$e [101I-1080D" Rome 2011E Johan Lu&elber& an% Jon 6ava&e" Punk: An Aesthetic" New :ork 2012E A%am *erner an% 6teven Bol# chaire% a session on "Punk Rock an% ,ontem$orar! Art on the Best ,oast< at the *os An&eles ,olle&e Art Association con#erence" 2J ;ebruar! 2012E Davi% @ (orres, e% " Punk: sus rastros en el arte contem$orWneo H Punk: Its (races in ,ontem$orar! Art" Aarcelona 201I RIHA Journal 0201 | 15 November 2018 matter what $unk rock was" it ha% CXD a whole lot to %o with art < 0 (hat $unk ha% a whole lot to %o with art is an insi&ht which has onl! #oun% its wa! into institutionaliGe% art histor! in the last %eca%e a$$roximatel!" but which was ver! $resent in the mi%91970s to mi%91980s Aettie Rin&ma an% /arc H /iller use% the term <$unk art< in their Punk Art >)hibition at the Bashin&ton ProKect #or the Arts in Bashin&ton an% the 6chool o# 7isual Arts in New :ork in 1978 +4& 1). 10 *ikewise" the $rota&onists o# the alrea%!9mentione% AN.6 &aller! in Amster%am %escribe% their work as <$unk art< on Myers an% $osters in 1979.11 A #ew years later, Bill Ga&lione wrote about his art zine: "(he aim o# 5a%aGine is to publish the art an% artists o# the neo9avant9&ar%e? 5a%a" ,orres$on%ence Art" ;luxus" ,oncretism" *ettrism" ,once$tual Art" Aruitism" 6imultaneous Poetr!" Ha$$enin&sH>vents, Punk Art, etc <12 1 ,atalo&ue o# the Punk Art >)hibition" Bashin&ton ProKect #or the Arts, Bashin&ton 5," 15 /a! to 10 June 1018 +*e#t3 ;ront cover? /arc H /iller" Aettie Rin&ma" an% ,urt Ho$$e" 6mashe% /ona" 1018 (Ri&ht3 Aack cover? 6cott A Q Aeth A" /a) Larl" 1018 (courtesy /arc H /iller H htt$?HH&aller! 08Aower! com3 CID However" <$unk art< never %i% become an establishe% term an%" $resumabl!" most $rota&onists o# the scene never wante% it to become one A#ter all" $unk art 0 @lenn -'Arien" "Punk is New :ork, New :ork is Punk", in? Punk: No -ne Is Innocent Lunst N 6til N Revolte" e)h cat Lunsthalle Bien" e%s.