agnès b x PUNK+: Exclusive interview with photographer Sheila Rock

“When punk died, we didn’t, we carried on.” – Sheila Rock

The punk movement back in the early 70s UK was a culture that grew essentially out of nothing. Coming from a time where the economy was not doing too well, the movement created an avenue for the youth of that time to experiment, be creative and create a voice for themselves. From music to fashion, it was sheer originality.

For a little insider look into that world, we spoke to American photographer, Sheila Rock, who incidentally bore witness to the scene’s evolution even before she became a professional photographer. Rock’s works include images of bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols and even rehearsals from The Moors Murderers amongst others of punk stores and salespeople. These photographs have all been curated into a collector’s book aptly titled, PUNK+.

By partnering with agnès b, who is a strong supporter of subcultures and alternative movements, Rock’s images have been touring around Asia, more recently in Shanghai and Japan. Now in Singapore, the photography exhibition at The Substation Gallery not only celebrates Rock’s stunning visual novel but also agnès b’s 10th anniversary.

Read on for more about the collaboration and Sheila Rock’s incredible insight into the punk world.

Marie France Asia: How did you get started with photography?

Sheila Rock: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m a self-taught photographer and certainly this set of pictures were done when I wasn’t a photographer. I inherited a camera when I was 16 or 17 from a boyfriend and he came from quite a rich family so he got more cameras and he gave me the ones he didn’t want. I remember going off to shoot whatever caught my fancy but I was never a photographer. When this punk movement started to happen, I had the opportunity of going to the first David Bowie tour in America and I met all of these extraordinary people who were involved with Andy Warhol – basically New York’s edgiest who were all at the beginning of America’s punk scene and they took me along to see The Ramones and Debbie Harry. I got to meet them because I wasn’t just a girl in the crowd, I was a part of an elite group, a part of the David Bowie family. Then I came back to London and I didn’t photograph very much at all because I was also married to Mick Rock and he’s a well known music photographer so his main job was to photograph Bowie. Since I wasn’t going to compete against him, I just lived the life. I didn’t feel compelled to photograph because it wasn’t a job.

MFA: How did you start photographing the punk scene in UK?

Sheila Rock: Basically I came across the punk movement in London. It was through Lenny Kaye who was part of the Patti Smith group who I met in New York and he told me to come to a gig. Afterwards I would invite him around to my house along with some of London’s players and we all went to the first Clash gig which was an eye-opener, it’s where we saw all the very early genesis of the varied bands.

I thought it was all so visually compelling and interesting so I started to take pictures. It was very innocent – we’re talking about young people who were all trying to make their mark, find out who they are and no one had any money. It was a real depressed economic time so people will be creative with their clothes and often getting most of their things from second hand shops and then customizing them. So a depressed economic time sort of gave birth to originality and creativity, largely because if you were young, you want to experiment and so people were doing it in their own way. The British are very good at doing it with their fashion and bands were sort of wanting something different from the laidback American sound.

MFA: We have to know, were you a punk girl in the seventies?

Sheila Rock: No I mean I think wore only a black leather jacket – a short jacket it was. It to be the kind of jacket Marlon Brando wore in The Wild One. I never owned a pair of leather jeans but I wore black jeans and black sweaters or white shirts. My style has always been pretty understated. My hair was very long and I probably a little bit more eye makeup. I wasn’t into doing anything really bizarre – I never had blue hair or spiked it up in any way and I just flowed through the times. I knew all the key players but no one was judgmental of the fact that I hadn’t spiked my hair.

MFA: What made you finally decide to compile all the photographs into your book, PUNK+?

Sheila Rock: Well, to be honest I didn’t see the value in these pictures. I’m quite a neat and organized person so I managed to put all of these picture in a box and I titled it ‘rough’. I put it away and by chance I met Fabrice Couillerot, who is the publisher of this book and he was interested in music and things that were out of the norm. Then he met me and decided that he had met someone with quite the essential archive. It wasn’t just the music, it was the fashion, trends and even where the people used to shop at.

MFA: How did the collaboration with agnès b. come about?

Sheila Rock: That came through Fabrice. Fabrice previously organized an exhibition with agnès b on a book that he done on underground photographers and music. She put on the show and it toured apparently to different parts of Asia. So he had an avenue to a gallery and she had always championed music, photography, alternative culture. Fabrice timidly suggested the collaboration, she embraced it and I met the gallery people and step by step it all came to fruition.

MFA: Which is your favourite photograph from the exhibition/ book and why?

Sheila Rock: It’s hard but I do like this one of John Lydon, I think it’s very strong. It was like the transformation of Johnny going from Johnny Rotten to John Lydon. I also really like the picture of the salesgirl in front of the SEX shop. As I walked across the street to photograph her, a passer by came and literally just stood there to stare and I just took that one frame. It was a Punk magic moment.

MFA: What was the most memorable aspect to you regarding the emergence of Punk in the UK?

Sheila Rock: I don’t think it was any one moment, it was a wave. It was so immediate. I can’t say punk was me and I can’t say I enjoyed all of the music. But I can say I enjoyed the energy, and the creativity of it because every time you went out, you saw something different. It wasn’t a formula and it was exciting.

MFA: What are your thoughts on punk’s resurgence in the fashion industry?

Sheila Rock: I think it’s great. It’s about shaking up the norm and doing something irreverent – not being predictable. If fashion needs to be nudged in a different direction then I think its fine. For instance, Zandra Rhodes in 1977 did a silk jersey dress with safety pins on it and Rei Kawakubo was always doing things that were kind of deconstructed. This basically opens up another world of fashion.

MFA: Which fashion personality or designer would you like to shoot for and why?

Sheila Rock: Oh I would love to do something for Commes des Garcons. I sort of discovered her in the 80s when I had the chance to go to Japan. The fact that her clothes were sort of statement clothes but yet weren’t so bright – mostly understated and that ticked a lot of my boxes.

MFA: What are some of the future plans for you as a photographer?

Sheila Rock: I have a book coming out next Spring Summer and it’s being published by a fine art German publisher on the British people along the coast. Some of the images are on my website labeled, Tough and Tender. It kind of categorises some of the edgy working class elements of the British people and it captures the moodiness along the coast. It’s definitely a more accomplished work so do look out for it!

The agnès b. PUNK+ Photo Exhibition in Singapore will run from 2 – 26 October 2014 at The Substation Gallery. Admission is free of charge. The book itself, PUNK+ is available for purchase at all agnès b outlets in Singapore. 

Tarandip Kaur

Photos: Sheila Rock