Dimbola are proud to present their main summer show PUNK + a compelling exhibition showcasing a retrospective by acclaimed photographer Sheila Rock. From the raw energy of 1970s punk, with iconic images of The Clash, Siouxsie Sioux, and Billy Idol, to the polished pop aesthetics of the 1980s music scene. Also accompanying the exhibition are a selection of photographic portraits from the series entitled Tough and Tender, that were made in seaside towns around England. Although initially interested in the aesthetics of seascapes when starting on this series, Rock’s dignified and stoic portraits reflect a quiet politics, documenting subjects and environments on the economic margins of the early 21st Century.

Sheila Rock came to the UK from America in 1970, and began a series of successful careers; firstly as a primary documenter of the punk era, then as a successful commercial photographer in advertising and editorial and more recently as the author of photographic books featuring works of her own private passions. The Face magazine launched her career, and she later contributed to a variety of diverse titles including German Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Architectural Digest, Sunday Times, Telegraph Magazine, Brides, Time Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine. Her book PUNK +, published in 2013, is a document of the London 1970s punk scene that was also accompanied by a series of exhibitions in London, Paris and Berlin and later, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Her book Tough & Tender is a delicate and sensitive report from the English seaside and 80s SOUND AND VISION published in 2022 is an overview of youth culture in the 80s featuring photographs from her days shooting for THE FACE magazine.

Her books Tough & Tender, Young Punks and 80s Sounds and Vision will be available to purchase from the Dimbola gift shop. A selection of prints will also be available to purchase.

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The exhibition runs until the 7th September.