OG Punk

 

Just opened at the Polygon Gallery main floor space is OG Punk, an exhibition of fifteen photographic portraits by Dina Goldberg.

Of the fifteen portraits, three are of women, eleven are of men, and because that adds up to fourteen, the "missing" portrait, as it were, is of a decorated black leather motorcycle jacket that carries its own portrait: a painted skull and cross bones. For those unfamiliar with the embodied practice of punk, the jacket is the third surface upon which its wearer displays their art. Beneath that, the t-shirt, and beneath that, the wearer's own hide -- our god given skin.

The array above features members of Victoria, B.C.'s punk scene. On the left is The Cretin, aka Murray Acton, graduate of St Michael's University School in Victoria and frontman for that city's longest-running punk band, Dayglow Abortions (1979-). Moving right (above), Lisa Jak, (below) Spud and, finally, the portrait bearing jacket, whose attribution I am waiting on and will supply in an upcoming Polygon podcast.

OG Punk is curated by Helga Pakasaar.