The Art Of Punk - Crass - The Art of Dave King and Gee Vaucher - Art + Music - MOCAtv

On the next installment of The Art of Punk, we tear into the art of Crass. From the assaulting black and white photo-realistic paintings of protest, anarchy, and social satire, to their legendary adopted brand and two headed snake and cross symbol. We head up to the Anarchist Book Fair in San Francisco to meet up with Gee Vaucher, and founding Crass member, writer, and activist, Penny Rimbaud. We discuss the art and the lifestyle stemming from the infamous Dial House, where they have lived, worked, and crated their own brand of anarchistic beauty, for more than 3 decades. We have a sit down with artist Scott Campbell, at his own New York tattoo shop, and talk about how the art of Crass, and one single t-shirt created a fork in his own road of life. Owen Thornton talks some shit. Finally we hang out with British graphic designer Dave King - the creator of the infamous snake and cross symbol, and discuss post war England, hippies, punk, graphic design, and more, that led him to the creation of the symbol made legend by Crass.
Created, directed, and Executive Produced by writer/author of 'Fucked Up + Photocopied', Bryan Ray Turcotte (Kill Your Idols), and Bo Bushnell (The Western Empire), The Art Of Punk traces the roots of the punk movement and the artists behind the iconic logos of punk bands such as: Black Flag (Raymond Pettibon), The Dead Kennedys (Winston Smith), and Crass (Dave King).
In addition to profiling the artists, the series includes intimate interviews with former band members, notable artists, and celebrities who have been heavily influenced by the art of punk rock including Jello Biafra, Tim Biskup, Scott Campbell, Chuck Dukowski, Flea, Steve Olson, Penny Rimbaud, Henry Rollins, Owen Thornton, and Gee Vaucher.
The filmmakers Bryan Ray Turcotte and Bo Bushnell take a unique approach to exploring the rich histories of these three seminal punk legends by focusing on the influential imagery and seeking out stories that have not been told yet through the artwork, which is integral to the importance and influence of each band.
Created By:
BRYAN RAY TURCOTTE
/ bryanraymond
www.KillYourIdols.com
BO BUSHNELL
/ bobushnell
BoBushnell
bobushnell.com
DIRECTED BY:
BRYAN RAY TURCOTTE
BO BUSHNELL
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
EMMA REEVES
JOHN TOBA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
BRYAN RAY TURCOTTE
BO BUSHNELL
STARRING:
RAYMOND PETTIBON
KEITH MORRIS
CHUCK DUKOWSKI
HENRY ROLLINS
FLEA
CAMERA:
JOSH WEBBER
BO BUSHNELL
JASON BAKER
EDITED BY:
TIM BROOKS
BEAST EDITORIAL
ASSISTANT EDITOR:
PAUL JAROLIMEKPRONER
BEAST EDITORIAL
LOCATION SOUND:
NOAH ALEXANDER
CHARLES EASTMOND
MOTION GRAPHIC DESIGN:
BRENT STANGEL
MUSIC SUPERVISION:
BETA PETROL
MUSIC BY:
RAW NERVE
THEME MUSIC:
SON THE FATHER by FUCKED UP
COURTESY BEGGARS GROUP
ADDITIONAL MUSIC BY:
C.R.A.S.H.
SCANNING BY:
JESSE SPEARS
SOUND MIXING:
PHIL LANTZ
M SQUARED PRODUCTIONS
COLORIST:
TIM BROOKS
PHOTO STILLS PROVIDED BY:
BRIAN TUCKER
ED COLVER
SPOT
RYAN RICHARDSON
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[@robertcaffrey6097]

I grew up in a small town north of Dublin in Ireland in the early 80s. In around 1982 age 15 I made a Crass logo stencil from a corn flakes box and proceeded to spray paint the logo all over the town, that logo certainly did grow legs. Crass talked the talk and the logo walked the walk.They were the only band tat ever had any true genuine integrity. Fair play to them they could've cashed in and made millions instead they put their money where their mouth was and spoke the truth, ensuring kids around the world got a real education.

[@MrMookRecords]

Which town Robert? Up the Nth. Co. Dublin punks!

[@robertcaffrey6097]

@@MrMookRecords Hi Colin the town in question is Drogheda, you might have known some of the heads or bands that came from there?

[@MrMookRecords]

@@robertcaffrey6097 . Aaaah. I know nada about the Drogheda scene Sorry! I was further South (Portrane). Got into punk circa '90 going to Chumbawamba/ Nomeansno/ Fugazi etc gigs. Trenchtown were from Drogheda yeah? I'm a huge fan of Jinx Lennon!

[@robertcaffrey6097]

@@MrMookRecords I was the bass player and founding member of Trenchtown, we played a great gig with No Means No at the New Inn in Dublin, footage of N M N st that gig exists on youtube. I dont know Jinx Lennon, should I?

[@MrMookRecords]

@@robertcaffrey6097 . Nice one! That gig in the new inn was my first punk gig! Yee were great and Not Our world and Nomeansno were class . I remember taping a few songs from a fanning session of yee way back. As for jinx Lennon... couldn't recommended h8ghly enough. He's like Sleaford Mods meets crass mixed with a dollop of Christy Moore if he went electro. From Dundalk.. with 8 albums out.. dunno how you've managed to miss him!

[@DIRTY-MERLIN]

a Nick Blinko Rudimentary Peni episode would make my life.

[@DavidTheriault]

Completely agree. I tweeted that to MOCA. If anyone else agrees send them a note.

[@calebcrittenden]

+David Theriault agree!

[@AAG_1999]

totally agree!!

[@nezmirage9565]

Yes!

[@harisetyoutomo1690]

yeeessssss!!!!

[@korgull8448]

He seems so happy thinking about the "Piss off granddad" moment in a kinda "Ahhh that's the spirit kid...keep up the good work"

[@THEsortinet]

The band, the music and the art are legendary.

[@ASM881]

I got into CRASS because NOFX mentioned them on their late 90s live album. I went out and purchased “The Feeding of the 5000” on vinyl and that record changed my life. The art, the gatefold, the music, it was amazing and it still is.

[@davidshurterfoundermembero2885]

Hippy bullsh1t. Total frauds too.

[@jmmone]

​@@davidshurterfoundermembero2885 That goes for both bands.😂

[@noahfecks7598]

Word up! I did the exact same thing. (Well, almost, I bought Christ the Album.) "I got the CD!" - "But did ya listen to it?"

[@Thirdfish]

RIP Dave, a true pioneer.

[@londoninflames]

it's a damn good piece of graphic design - in fact, crass had a wonderful aesthetic throughout.

[@ericcrawford2697]

In retrospect, I only went to art school because it was a prerequisite to form a band.

[@riot4right1312]

as japanese, i really glad to know that japanese traditional logos influenced to a basis of crass's logo.

[@laurokrawall]

This is some pretty nationalist shit right there.

[@Thirdfish]

@@laurokrawall Nah don't mistake patriotism for nationalism

[@fuckthepolice.9410]

DEFTONES

[@fuckthepolice.9410]

@@Thirdfish THATS a huge mistake Americans are making right now

[@Kryssthealien]

@@laurokrawall Or maybe, that's just being happy that your culture was also part of this great movement. I'm a black man, and at 14, I was happy to see the drummer of Dead Kennedy was black and the whole of Bad Brains as well. Not because I'm racist, but because I was happy to see that we, black people, were also part of this great culture. It sometimes feels lonely when people around you, don't get you.

[@veronicacross6532]

Compelling, would love to hear more from Gee Vaucher.

[@DavidInSugarLand]

RIP Dave King..

[@MrWaphead]

Interesting film, thanks. Still listen to Crass even now - they did some absolute classics didn't they?.

[@ELRIOdeMIAMI]

Oh nooooo Dave.... THANK YOU 🙏🏼 FOR ALL YOU WERE AND ALL YOU STILL ARE TO US!!!

[@DavyRo]

My Avatar says everything about how much I've always loved this symbol. I've just bought yet another T Shirt containing the symbol as my older one has died now. The Artwork that came with everything to do with Crass, is outstandingly original in the way it gets the message across.

[@cramphound]

BURNT CROSS are the band whose tracks are on this video...the songs are- Arms Trade, Death Trade - This Bloody Age - Mob Violence- Spectacle of the Obscene- Break the Law not the Poor- Governed by Fools Check us out , all on youtube

[@MartinBlack]

Great stuff, I always wondered about the origin of the Crass symbol. Whatta band!

[@joad9756]

they really need to do one of these for rudimentary peni.

[@AAG_1999]

omfg yesss!

[@Rand_al_Thor372]

I am in love with the commercial that plays before a Crass video!! I dont care what its for or about, just the commercialism is beautiful.

[@nomisvagabond139]

It's so fitting to have the commercials 👳 I agree . Rebellion freedom and no locks on the door as penny says .

[@paulflah4562]

Noooo it's just so not with the ideas of crass to have ads for multi national companys along side anything to do with them

[@christopherknebel7493]

The symbol always reminded me of the Captain Scarlet logo.

[@AndrewRobertson-v5i]

17 years old on my own finding the door, and going down in to the darkness's and defining noises of the 100 club for the first time, the projector screen, back and white film , a cat being experimented on, crass opened my eyes, realty asylum.critical thinking.I didn't understand everything they were saying , but I found something that helped me to question everything.Im now 58, I believe in the One who's hands and feet were stretched out and nailed for me , and his suffering being dragged from a rope of the back of a motorbike on the street of Gaza,or hung from a lamp post in Iraq, but not in the comparmis political state "church".

[@lagartijoazul75]

Por supuesto. Parte de la filosofía Punk es hacer las cosas a tu manera, buscar tu manera, construir tu manera....

[@JacketsOnFire]

The crass symbol is so interesting and actually says a lot. It’s an ouroboros and a crucifix. These two images are contradictions of one another. The ouroboros represents chaos(anarchy) and the cross represents order(peace). The main slogan of Crass was “Anarchy & Peace.” Two contradicting ideas that yet make a harmonious identity. Not sure if they understood the symbolism themselves but that’s what I take from the image. What do you guys think?

[@EEX97623]

Ouroboros serpent eats its tail, the Crass logo is two snake heads

[@Ern-theOppressed1]

a conflict episode would kickass

[@thefunnys4332]

Are you guys going to continue this series, or is it only going to be the three that you have?

[@cramphound]

Love the Burnt Cross music in there :) UK anarcho punk happening right now :)

[@tadpolerecords]

BURNT CROSS!!! great fitting sounds.....

[@albertineno4765]

I finally seen the only art exhibit I give a shit about in Colchester of all places, highly recommended it s on till the 19feb17. she s ace. This is great. Gratitude

[@gerardodekadenciag498]

muy buen documento,en realidad el diseño,la imaginacion y las ideas pueden crear movidas con fundamentos muy claros como los que tuvieron los CRASS y toda esa gente en aquellos tiempos...no necesariamente para ser punk hay ke ser desprolijo o hacer solo ruido con la musica,TU ELIGES LA FORMA,LAS MANERAS QUE MEJORES USES O SEPAS USAR...bien por MOCA TV

[@henrycastle1]

❤ The poster in the single Bloody Revolutions I thought of that as fine art Still do Nice to see you all

[@jacekpokrak9258]

Not so long ago nobody heard about Compmaturism Today compmaturism becomes the most interesting trend in contemporary art.

[@x78grindx]

Piss off grandad 😃 RIP mate , it was great job.

[@chadelder6894]

Great!! Very well done.

[@ciril6904]

BRILLIANT

[@SPXclothing]

Again- would have loved to hear actual Crass music along with this documentary. Big A little A, sheep Farming the Falklands, etc. Aside from that I like this a lot. In the 80's I would graffiti Crass, GBH, Discharge, Black Flag, FEAR, Aggression, Wasted Youth and other iconic punk rock symbols over everything I could get my hands on. some of the best imagery ever in music history came from the punk scene.

[@cramphound]

were not allowed as copyright issues so asked Burnt Cross

[@Degenerative1]

This is interesting . Got into crass via their vinyl , bought at Virgin records manchester

[@GGhomo]

What's the name of the song playing at 7:10

[@fillycheesefl]

Surprised there wasn't a Bad Religion one. They have a pretty iconic punk logo.

[@christopherulloa967]

Ty for the most memorable. Shit ever i have crass cross and snake inked on me.

[@christopherulloa967]

Peni would be epic nick. And anything peni would be amazing his art is so beautiful hes so amazing i love nicks work half OF my body is a canvas of blinkos work

[@paulcostelloe5345]

Excellent.

[@georgeedwardscott7159]

very interesting

[@betapetrol]

Yes, a full length film is in the works.

[@brandonspivey8020]

What are the tracks on this video

[@leWillem]

What is the name of the book in the intro?

[@shred6]

Awesome. But are they saving extraneous footage for a full DVD release down the line? Another 15 minutes would've rounded out other aspects like Gee's technique and the similar design aesthetic used for all the other bands on Crass records. I like how they use other band's music though; I can recite everything off of Stations of the Crass, but I'd never heard of Burnt Cross....

[@frankcalabrese7074]

Awesome!!! @@@@

[@NocturnalFear138]

Can someone give me the list of songs that appear in this? I know it's by Burnt Cross, I just can't find the bloody song titles.

[@cramphound]

+NocturnalFear138 Arms Trade Death Trade, Mob Violence, Break the Law not the Poor, Governed by Fools and This Bloody Age

[@lotwizzard1748]

i proudly wear the crass badge tatoo

[@nadamas4954]

I. Love. Crass!

[@kanji5800]

i purposely put the small crass logo in the high school year book is now the best thing i had done. no one knew what that meant where i lived;)

[@sindyfavre7208]

Musicalement politiquement vous avez tout défoncés, J adore et c'est intemporel. PENY j aurais bcp aimé être à ta place.

[@cmartinez422]

Much love

[@dant8008]

Love this!

[@geraldwalker6101]

I love crass but they are the epitome of middle class art school punks. They had to get steve ignorant to get a bit of working class credit. Oi was the voice of working class anger

[@southafricanguy]

They said that we were trash, but the name is CRASS not clash

[@primate924]

This is fuckin awesome thanks for sharing

[@SpuglyFuglet]

I think the captain scarlet logo had a lot more to do what the design of the Crass Logo and they know.

[@gregdahlen4375]

the logo is fair, the stories and people are interesting

[@samuelblinne6040]

Awesome

[@_Mike.85]

all of these videos, the black flag one, the dead kennedys one, the crass one. Not one of them features any of their tunes. Why?!

[@cramphound]

+Michael C cos the publishing companies want royalties

[@teamenemy.]

what about rudimentary peni and nick blinko?

[@PaullyRobots]

anyone know who that last song during the credits was?

[@deniskd6708]

Так как я фанат группы Crass, очень было бы интересно узнать о чём говорят в этом видео...

[@FlowerPride]

Земляк)

[@aaronwaddell2352]

Didn’t recognize any of the songs as crass though

[@nezmirage9565]

Odd they didn't use Crass's music in this. That would have made it 100% better!

[@cramphound]

They were not allowed..copyight issues...hence they asked Burnt Cross

[@dewexdewex]

Vaucher's art is played down in favour of King's single offering in this programme. In places, King seems to take the credit for her work. Her contribution was greater than his.

[@petermcinnes6987]

+Dewex Dewex I agree, they've fixated on the logo when the 'art' of Crass was and is absolutely centred upon Gee's visuals. Its really disappointing.

[@AuralVirus]

Not 1 audio clip actually from CR(A)SS :)

[@TimBoykinGuitar]

Yeah, I was wondering if anybody else thought that was weird. All about CRASS, not CRASS music.

[@cramphound]

Tim Boykin because its about the art

[@AuralVirus]

cramphound hmmm. so why bother with playing other music?

[@cramphound]

AuralVirus cos they wanted music in it but couldn't use Crass's due to publishing rights.

[@AuralVirus]

cramphound you're just making stuff up now aren't you. :D regardless if that's the case then it loops back to my op - documentary featuring CRASS related stuff but none of their music...

[@dejanjovanovic8181]

My Friend is gone!("Zbogom Savo,vidimo se!!!)

[@isee5251]

REST IN PEACE, GRANDDAD.

[@bobmarley8644]

Anyone knows the songs name at 7:10?

[@lamadrama6240]

+slumdog Burnt Cross - arms trade death trade. off the carcass of humanity album i think might be wrong

[@EWKification]

Anyone who says "all art is plagiarism" has not original vision or ability, and thus tries to project her or his imaginative infertility on the rest of humanity. Yes, you can do clever things with borrowed images. No, all art is NOT at all plagiarism. Think Bosch or Van Gogh. Holy shit. There are very original artists, and there's a universe of difference between having influences and being a plagiarist.

[@humanothumqn659]

If you are a good enough artist, you eventually plagiarize yourself by making prints of your pieces to sell in mass form

[@EWKification]

@@humanothumqn659 That's no plagiarism.

[@humanothumqn659]

@@EWKification ok....it's lazy lol

[@EWKification]

@@humanothumqn659 No, it's like selling copies of your novel and not just the original typed manuscript.

[@Lex_Interior]

Song at 6:22?

[@cramphound]

Burnt Cross - Mob Violence (Apostles cover)

[@cramphound]

+TheDude Burnt Cross-Mob Violence

[@cramphound]

@Cult Medium You'd be suprised

[@EhrenSkate]

A video about crass and the art of Dave King and Gee Vaucher, with next to no Crass songs and only a tiny segment of interview with Gee....Come on MOCA I have to say I expected better.

[@LSheik777]

traduzido em portugues ?

[@wlz93]

grey hair and black shirts, a"m almost there, just the shirt :) there grey btw

[@marciabotelho8]

niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!

[@mh2289]

Doesn't everything come out of disappointment and anger though?

[@owenmesinas6610]

what was the song at 2:23

[@cramphound]

Burnt Cross- This Bloody age

[@LetThePoorStarve]

I hoped it would be longer. Still awesome tho

[@genesissanchez1813]

“Piss off granddad” hahaha

[@ollesvensk]

Piss of, grand dad. Great name for a punk band of 55+'s

[@jblucas70]

we have been sold out!

[@cramphound]

lol..grow up

[@mikeb2507]

Great doco for the story, can you at least reedit so stuff stays still so I don’t need a strobe light to watch it…😱

[@thunorwodenson]

Pushead and mad marc rude were big punk artists.

[@JesseArg]

Jesse Spears: Master Scanner

[@dominicseanmccann6300]

Not much of crass' music but. .. not bad music. Crass? 78 on tube; central line was at bottom of road. 20 mins oxford circus. They didn't come down stencilling it up past holland park; so i had to do all points west. Great band. Think for yourself!

[@manuelfong2648]

intro song?

[@MrMookRecords]

music sounds like Fucked Up.. dual guitars sound like it.. From Hidden World or Chemistry Of Modern Life maybe??

[@MrMookRecords]

yep.. Son The Father by Fucked Up. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r52xiJiwodlmhZY

[@cramphound]

@@MrMookRecords Its by Burnt Cross...now defunct]

[@MrMookRecords]

@@cramphound the intro song? The first piece of music .. it is 100% fucked up. Click my link. Son The Father by Fucked Up.

[@scoon2117]

And fhe genius of penny rimbaud and steve ignorant and that one chick.

[@dosunocuatro5157]

Joder, la importancia del inglés.

[@ewelina272]

whats the opening song to this??

[@MrMookRecords]

Son the Father. By Fucked Up. It ends the documentary too!

[@thin747]

Gee's work is so massively important and yet they dont even barely show it here or her speaking on her work. and as part of the collective. total bummer. all about the logo and some other guys talking. its an incredible design, dont get me wrong here but intervbiewing a tatooist and owen thornton saying "who the fuck were these guys?" im like who the f@#k is own thornton?? shame they didnt actually interview Gee. or include what they captured.

[@-joe90]

FLAMEL ....

[@joekidger3960]

what was that shit at the beginning?

[@pancrack]

Burnt Cross??? Ridiculous not to use Crass music ffs ! But a great vid that apart !

[@cramphound]

They asked Burnt Cross as we offered it free..Crass would not :)

[@666sinneD]

cramphound . Not a bad deal, for the visibility,this is how I’ve discovered “Burnt cross” and I’m in Canada.. Fkn love your tunes!!

[@cramphound]

@@666sinneD great ..thanks mate

[@melodiantime]

I AM, LISA SIMPSON.

[@arob13]

Things didn't shift to the right enough.

[@DiamorphineDeath]

Or they shifted in a manner that was a subversion of the right. “Fight wars, not wars” as a Crass statement can fal either on the left or the right; one can hear Pat Buchanan or Lindbergh making this same statement in an isolationist position. The invade the world invite the world neo-conservative position that swept in after the 70’s was a direct reflection of a rejection of a nativist/traditionalist position. The purges occurred and you ended up eventually with the “compassionate conservatism” of say a George Bush and nothing conserved nor saved, just auctioned off to the highest bidder. The same thing happened to leftist in the 60’s, neo-liberalism served the same gods as neo-conservatism; neither of which were capable of saving or creating anything outside of consumer drivel.

[@arob13]

I have absolutely no memory of making this comment, although I agree with it, and with your well-informed observations. I boxed up my LPs the other week, preparatory to moving house. Crass, The Fall, The Clash, The Pop Group, The Dead Kennedys.....why don't I chuck it all out?

[@DiamorphineDeath]

@@arob13 I have to listen to the DK's in a detached manner as the rhetoric aggravates me, but na dude, the fall and crass and the clash are all classic. The Fall especially are some weird dudes, but shit its cool music.

[@arob13]

@@DiamorphineDeath Art can transcend the politics of the artist; but I have to confess to a sense of having allowed myself to be misled.

[@DiamorphineDeath]

@@arob13 I get that, but by that token, a lot must be thrown out. Orwell was an ardent socialist, and yet his books are more than worthwhile. Ezra Pound had his distinct political leanings, and I hope he maintains, etc. Perspective I think is key, when those dudes came to their conclusions, especially the DK's, the country looked entirely different so there is so legitimacy to the views they came to. Now there's no excuse for the fictional reality Jello Biafra think's he lives in. Same thing with Henry Rollins and the like, they've never questioned their beliefs in regards to the hyper-reality of our current existence. They view it as transgressive to be a representative of neo-liberal rhetoric as if Thatcher/Reagan are still in office.

[@aandreaa0000]

▪☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[@Agz86]

Damn Ioved this but that generic background music was cringy as fuck.

[@bighill8272]

The opening titles were cringeworthy. The irish guy made my lips curl in distaste. The music was crap, but hats off to Penny, Gee and Dave. If it wasn't for them I'd have closed this window down after a few seconds.

[@jblucas70]

THEY MAKE MONEY§

[@cramphound]

good on em