New Exhibition: Identity! A Poly Styrene Retrospective

promo picture for the exhibition

There is a new exhibition launching later this month at the 198 Contemporary Arts & and Leaning in Herne Hill from 17 May – 7 June

The free showcase and programme will be the first showing of the personal and artistic archive of Marianne ‘Poly Styrene’ Elliot-Said, the lead singer of the British punk band X-Ray Spex. It includes original artworks, writings, and photography.

Curated by Mattie Loyce and Poly Styrene’s daughter Celeste Bell the exhibition explores her complex legacy and work as an interdisciplinary artist. It highlights her experiences as a woman in music history, a woman in punk, being mixed race Black British, and someone living with mental health difficulties.

The programme will include a book talk on the brand-new biography DAYGLO delivered by co-authors Celeste Bell and Zoe Howe, a preview screening of the new documentary in production ‘I Am A Cliché’, and a Poly Styrene Weekender with an Art Lab led by Youth of Killing Joke, a panel exploring her legacy, and music gig curated by DIY diaspora punk festival Decolonise Fest.

 

 

Event Details:

17 May – 7 June

198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, 198 Railton Road (Free)

Gallery Opening times: 11am-5pm, Monday to Friday

DAYGLO Book Talk and I Am A Cliché Film Preview Screening, 22 May 6:30-9:30pm

 

You can also visit the gallery website to find out more