BOOK - PUNK SALVADOR COSTA'S APRIL 77 PHOTOGRAPHS

BOOK - IMPORT SPAIN

PAPERBACK 120 PAGES BLACK & WHITE 

Punk was one of the first photobooks published about the punk movement, not only in Spain but in Europe.

Originally published in late 1977, the book achieved significant international recognition, acquiring a pseudo-mythical status when it went out of print.

Nearly half a century later, the book is available again. This updated edition includes previously unpublished photos from Costa's archives, preserved by his wife and son after his death on October 30, 2008, as well as short texts and commentaries from members of Gen X, Eater, The Models, and others.

Salvador Costa's black and white photographs show his conviction that monochrome was the best way to portray the punk spirit, as well as the atmosphere of beer, music and sex in London clubs in April 1977. Right at its key moment.

This book contains an insider's view  that portrays the city of London and the inclusive atmosphere of these venues; photographing up close and with a naturalness that shows that there were no barriers between the musicians and the public.

Among the audience, the young people, the smoke and the shadows, you can identify the faces of the Sex Pistols, Chelsea, The Nips, The Slits, Eater and many more, encapsulated in the space-time of a golden age of youth empowerment where everything was possible and nothing was impossible.

The book was originally published in Spain in late 1977 by Star Magazine. It was one of the first books published about the punk movement in Europe. Its images resembled those of a war correspondent; it was like a photojournalist in the makeshift trenches of the early days of the punk assault in London. Just two months after “Never Mind The Bollocks” instantly topped the charts, Salvador Costa captured the emergence of the punk phenomenon. In the images he took during his timely trip to London, we see rock portraits that capture both mainstays and supporting acts—Johnny Rotten dressed as a teddy boy!—as well as the vast cast of anonymous individuals. Faces, attitudes, and gazes that tell us as much about the era they lived through as any song or book.

“Punk” achieved significant international recognition, consistently selling out in prestigious central London bookstores such as the Photographers Gallery and the avant-garde Compendium Books. It also sold out in Spain, acquiring a quasi-mythical status upon going out of print. The book was included in the exhibition “Photos & Books. Spain 1905-1977” at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid in 2014, and the museum acquired some original prints of photographs from the “Punk” series, sparking renewed interest in the work of Salvador Costa.

Nearly half a century later, the book is available again. This updated edition includes previously unpublished photos from Costa's own archives, preserved by his wife and son after his death on October 30, 2008, as well as short texts and commentaries from members of Gen X, Eater, The Models, and other groups.