Friday, April 4, 2025

Art of Punk Rock: Crass, DKs, Black Flag

(Bullet Train Productions) By Any Means: A Brief History of Black Flag (Part 1: 1976-1980)


Hi, I'm Sydney Vicious. I do it my way!
Why do punk rockers feel drawn to Buddhism? It might be the anti-authority (as suggested by LA's Wasted Youth in their anthem "F Authority") stance of the Buddha who stood up to the religions of his day or the no heroes Zen ethos they imagine. Both modern punk and the ancient Dhamma were rebellious movements. Maybe they've read the Kalama Sutra and like the F.U. attitude they imagine it embodies.

I did it my way, claims Sex Pistol Sid Vicious as if he were Frank Sin'

Never mind those bullocks. Clear the mind.
Buddhism (the Awakened One's Dharma) doesn't really say "F.U.," but it does give license to free inquiry and questioning rather than blind faith or devotion to idols and authoritative sources. In the end, it's a kind of shamanism (direct experience) over temple-bound priests (intermediaries).

What is real rebellion and freedom?
The Buddha did not ask people to "believe" or worship him but to come see the Truth for themselves. Enlightenment (bodhi, awakening) is open to any person willing to embark on a quest to directly know-and-see. This is a personally verifiable path. There is no waiting until we die to see if what we placed faith in panned out. No.

This path-of-practice (not belief) is about the here and now; it is of immediate benefit, demonstrable: With this, that is; when this is not, that is not. What? Everything. Why? Because everything is Dependently Originated. So if we know-and-see become full of knowledge and wise on the path to Freedom, it is because we have practiced this and left that behind. If suffering (things sucking and disappointing) is a problem (as it is for most living beings), there is a solution right NOW in this moment.

(She Rocks Punk) Eve Libertine's first song with Crass was "Asylum," a
shocking anti-Christian, anti-patriarchal screed of vile and vulgar oopsies

The Art of Punk - Crass - The Art of Dave King and Gee Vaucher - Art + Music - MOCAtv
(The Museum of Contemporary Art) MOCA is a pretty arthouse in ugly Los Angeles. Talk about crass, this is talk about the British anarcho-punk pioneers Crass, the musical collective who back the amazing Eve Libertine, Joy De Vivre, and Steve Ignorant.


The Art of Punk - Dead Kennedys - The Art of Winston Smith - Art + Music - MOCAtv
(The Museum of Contemporary Art) June 25, 2013: In this episode, The Art of Punk hits head on with the art behind the legendary Dead Kennedys. From the chaotic, surreal, madness of collage mixed with political folly that blazed their LPs and gig flyers to the razor edge ultra simplistic four simple line DK symbol.

DKs: 1986 Interview with Jello Biafra (SPIN)
In San Francisco, MOCAtv corners founding Dead Kennedys member Jello Biafra (vocalist and frontman), who discusses his own warped inspiration for the many album sleeves and band posters created in the early days of the group.

Back in Los Angeles, MOCAtv talks with pop surrealist artist Tim Biskup about how the DKs affected and twisted his own young mind, and Steve Olson graces the show with a few words of wisdom.

Remember our Holiday in Buddhist Cambodia after the US turned it to hell?

10 best Dead Kennedys songs (Singers Room)
Finally, it's time to meet up with master collage artist and designer of the DK symbol, Winston Smith, in his North Beach art studio and talk about how he was drawn into the early Bay Area punk scene -- and his long and creative artistic relationship with the Dead Kennedys and their smart frontman and clever vocalist Jello Biafra.


Created, directed, and executive produced by writer/author of Fucked Up + Photocopied Bryan Ray Turcotte (Kill Your Idols), and Bo Bushnell (The Western Empire), The Art of Punk traces the roots of the punk movement and the artists behind the iconic logos of punk bands such as Black Flag (Raymond Pettibon), The Dead Kennedys (Winston Smith), and Crass (Dave King).

In addition to profiling artists, the series includes intimate interviews with former band members, notable artists, and celebrities who have been heavily influenced by the art of punk rock including Jello Biafra, Tim Biskup, Scott Campbell, Chuck Dukowski, bassist Flea (FEAR, RHCP), Steve Olson, Penny Rimbaud, Henry Rollins, Owen Thornton, and Gee Vaucher.


The filmmakers Bryan Ray Turcotte and Bo Bushnell take a unique approach to exploring the rich histories of these three seminal punk legends by focusing on the influential imagery and seeking out stories that have not been told yet through the artwork, which is integral to the importance and influence of each band.

On June 11, 2013, The Art of Punk debuts on MOCAtv with an episode on Raymond Pettibon and the artwork of Black Flag. The stories behind the art of the Dead Kennedys will debut on June 18, and June 25 will see the release of the Crass episode, all of which will be available at: mocatv.

Created by: Bryan Ray Turcotte (bryanraymond) KillYourIdols.com and Bo Bushnell (bobushnell) Instagram.com/BoBushnell bobushnell.com. Directed by: Bryan Ray Turcotte, Bo Bushnell. Executive producers: Emma Reevers, John Toba. Executive producers: Bryan Ray Turcotte, Bo Bushnell. Starring: Raymond Pettibon, Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Henry Rollins, Flea. Camera: Josh Webber, Bo Bushnell, Jason Baker. Edited by: Tim Brooks, Beast. Editorial Assistant editor: Paul Jarolimekproner, Beast. Editorial location sound: Alexander Charles Eastmond. Motion graphic design: Brent Stangel. Music supervision: Beta Petrol. Music by: Raw Nerve. Theme music: Son the Father by Fucked Up Courtesy Beggars Group. Additional music by: C.R.A.S.H. Scanning by: Jesse Spears. Sound mixing: Phil Lantz M Squared Productions. Colorist: Tim Brooks. Photo stills provided by: Brian Tucker, Ed Colver, Ryan Richardson. Like MOCA on Facebook: bit.ly/MOCAFacebook, Twitter: bit.ly/MOCATwitter +1 MOCA on Google+: bit.ly/MOCAGooglePlus.
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