Series Site
In conjunction with the Museum of Sex’s exhibition “Punk Lust: Raw Provocation, 1971-1985,” Anthology hosts a related film program that expands on the exhibition by surveying how Punk culture used the language of sexuality – both visually and lyrically – to transgress and defy, whether in the service of political provocation, raw desire, or simply to break through the stifling gender norms and social expectations of its time. Highlights of the series include in-person Q&As with filmmakers such as Beth B, and a rare event with punk and gender pioneer Jayne County appearing via Skype, along with her manager, Max’s Kansas City veteran Jimi LaLumia.
“Punk Lust” traces the seeds of Punk culture to queer film and theater movements of the early to mid-1970s, and explores the ways the booming sex industry blurred lines between pornography and art. The sex industry provided a space to experiment (and a source of steady income) for inquisitive artists and was often a featured theme, whether through camp invocation or autobiographical exploration. The films in this series revel in fantasy, filth, and freedom, and are staged in abandoned cities like New York, Berlin, and San Francisco, where youth culture was left unattended and given license to explore forbidden boundaries.