The Punk Emperor Has No Clothes

All over Manhattan there have been bold pink-and-black banners advertising "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so I was ready for a subversive, in-your-face artistic display as I entered the exhibit space last night.

I was at first pleased to be assaulted with loud music, floor-to-ceiling static-filled video screens, and towering mannequins topped with brightly colored afro-type wigs that changed with the color-scheme from room to room. But after the initial pleasant shock, I started to focus on what was actually on the mannequins and the explanations that went with them. There were original articles of clothing from the 1970s displayed next to updated versions from more recent high fashion. And that's when the whole thing started to feel like a practical joke.

The bands were given credit for channeling the besplattered drip art of Jackson Pollock though they are quoted as saying that they had painted without wearing coveralls and just happened to get paint all over themselves. And their use of safety pins was an iconic look, though one musician says that they were poor and needed to just hold their clothes together.

Of course, these seemingly accidental looks were then followed by others' purposeful splattering and ripping, but then, how anti-establishment are people who are establishing a pattern? In the world of punk, giving someone the finger is no different than giving a salute; all you're doing is following a trend instead of following orders. If you care about looking like you don't care, then you are not subversive, you are self-satirical.

My disappointment was sealed when I got to the section where couture was made out of found objects and, yes, trash. There were trash bag dresses, and then there was a dress made out of material made to look like trash bags. That's right, some designer made material that simulated the look of trash bags. The phrase you've been punked started to take on a new meaning for me.

After leaving the exhibit, I found my time was much better spent at "Photography and the American Civil War," and at "Ken Price Sculpture: A Retrospective." But, for those who think they will enjoy the "PUNK" exhibit, all I can say is: I salute you.