The Beautiful & The Damned: Punk Photographs by Ann Summa

Edited by Kristine McKenna. Foreword by Exene Cervenka. When photographer Ann Summa arrived in Los Angeles in 1978, the citys punk scene was still fresh, diverse, smart, utterly originaland fertile territory for a young photographer. The Beautiful & the Damned is a collection of her portraits of the musicians, artists and fans who made Los Angeles such a crucial part of the history of punk. Taken between 1978 and 1984, the images mostly revolve around L.A.s first punk generation, and include portraits of the Germs, the Screamers, X, the Cramps and the Gun Club, among many others. From there, the book expands its scope to accommodate the cross-pollination that took place between L.A.s punk scene and the fine art community, (at the time, the audience for avant-garde artists such as the Kipper Kids, Johanna Went and Laurie Anderson was primarily drawn from the underground music scene), and the two other citiesLondon and New Yorkthat played a central role in the birthing of punk. Photo