Days of Punk | Photography by Michael Grecco
The MF Gallery is excited to announce our newest print collection, titled Days of Punk, by acclaimed photographer Michael Grecco. This compelling collection offers a captivating glimpse into the raw authenticity of punk culture, reflecting the attitudes, fashion, and music that fundamentally defined a generation. 10% of all Days of Punk print sales are donated to musicares.org, providing critical health and welfare services for the music community, including support for mental health, addiction recovery and more.
Self-portrait, 1980 © Michael Grecco
“The spirit of Punk was extraordinary. It marked me forever. As you look at these images, I hope you also get touched by its infectious freedom.”
The MF Gallery is excited to announce our newest print collection, Days of Punk, by acclaimed photographer Michael Grecco. This compelling collection uniquely captures the vibrant energy and distinctive style of the punk era, showcasing a stunning array of images that resonate with both nostalgia and impressive artistic innovation. Each photograph offers a captivating glimpse into the raw authenticity of punk culture, reflecting the attitudes, fashion, and music that fundamentally defined a generation.
From the late ‘70s through the early ‘90s, Michael Grecco masterfully captured the essence of the electrifying nightclub and concert scenes in New York and Boston during the unprecedented punk music explosion in the U.S. As an Associated Press photographer and a dedicated lensman for the renowned rock station WBCN-FM, Grecco fully immersed himself in the vibrant culture as a self-identified “club kid.” This unique perspective and insider viewpoint enabled him to chronicle the punk scene not just as an observer but as an active participant deeply involved in the movement. His work serves as a visual testament to a tumultuous yet exhilarating chapter in pop culture history, showcasing the raw energy and outrageous spirit that prominently defined the era.
Elvis Costello, 1980
Elvis Costello (b. Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus), British singer and songwriter at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980 © Michael Grecco
Tina Weymouth Of Talking Heads, 1980
Tina Weymouth, co-founder and bassist of the American new wave bands Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, during a Talking Heads concert at The Orpheum Theater, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980 © Michael Grecco
The Clash, a British punk band, formed by Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer, backstage at the Bond's International Casino, New York City, New York, 1981 © Michael Grecco
These photographs had been dormant in Grecco’s flat files until his archivist suggested revisiting this previously unseen body of work. After they did a deep dive, their efforts led to Grecco’s book Punk, Post Punk, New Wave: Onstage, Backstage, In Your Face, 1978–1991 (Abrams Books, 2020), which introduced these images for the first time. Now they are the centerpiece of museum and gallery shows worldwide, and are available as fine art prints.
10% of all Days of Punk print sales are donated to MusiCares.org, providing critical health and welfare services for the music community, including support for mental health, addiction recovery and more.