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Artist's Statement What follows is a partial selection of AFTER MIDNIGHT, which chronicles the youth revolution in New York City's East Village. The document contains a total of 80 images from 1981-1991 and shows a strong shift in satirical political statements, fashion, and sexual mores throughout the decade. AFTER MIDNIGHT focuses on the nightclub kids and their lifestyle, which was set against the changing times of that decade. The first on the scene was Punk Rock, which gave way to Skinheads, Rock-a-billy, Ska, Gothic style, and eventual Death and Heavy Metal. The photos are about youth, then and now. They are about how a generation expressed a unique way to adapt to our changing society, finding a way to be accepted amongst each other while making a statement against the status-quo. This document is about youth searching for 'self' amongst the cultural revolution of the East Village. The 80's was a time of self-awaress, presented in the screaming voice of individualism, the likes of which had never been seen before. It was dark, brooding, "in-your-face", anti-societal and very controversial at the time. You may feel these photos are not unlike people you see today, who are very accepted by today's standards, but the photos here are historic and show the rough edge of a culture that was brand new, 20-plus years ago. For every generation there is a time of adventurous recklessness which hopefully leads to greater self-understanding and a way to become a productive part of society. In the 1980's in the face of AIDS, Reagonomics, destruction of the planet and threat of nuclear war, a number of young people chose to pursue a relentless commitment to enjoying life outside the societal norms. Some pursued drugs, some art, some just having fun. The 80's were a time of escapism that centered around nightclub-hopping, and wild fashion statements. Nighttime in Manhattan was a place where you could go to re-invent yourself, and be celebrated for it. By creating a fashion "look" you could make yourself a star in the underground and with the press. Image is a statement about self without saying a word. It is a visual expression of how someone chooses to be perceived. For youth it is still the ultimate expression of what they stand for and are trying to express about themselves. Dressing up and going out is an art. Club life is theatre--you create yourself and an idea. In the 1980's Image was everything: you were as cool as you looked. The people were often as enigmatic as the movements themselves. They were like phantoms: there for a moment, a spark of inspiration, and then they were gone into the night, sometimes never seen again... |
Author: Jana Marcus
Email: jana@jlmphotography.com Home Page: www.jlmphotography.com Other information: |