The punk movement of the 70s has influenced not just the music scene, but also the graphic design and art scene. The art of that time also featured the do-it-yourself approach and anti-establishment sentiments of the raw rock music popular during that era. The designs exude a sense of rawness, whether it is the overall design or the means of the production.

There are some designers during the Punk era who went to art school. Some of the notable ones were Jamie Reid and Malcolm McLaren. However, majority of the artists during that time didn’t have any formal training in graphic design. Some of the common things that practitioners had were a passion for music, a camera, pen and a pair of scissors. Just like the bands that they follow, they used cheap instruments to create their art. And their finish products were often described as edgy and rough.

During the Punk period, the most popular forms of music art were fanzines and album covers. Bands created music with cheap instruments and pressed their own records. They also churned out fanzines reproduced through photocopiers. Their albums were sold during gigs and at independent stores. These albums featured covers that were hand printed. The artists were given the freedom to create whatever they like, and that’s why album covers produced that time were provocative, crass, or the combination of the two.

If you are in London, you can head to the British Library to see an exhibit on the visual media from the punk scene. The exhibit is part of Punk London Festival, which is a series of exhibitions and events to celebrate the creativity of that era.

The exhibit featured a wall of album covers ranging from Anarchy in the UK of the Sex Pistols to Stretcher Case Baby of The Damned. People who want to relive their punk years and millenials who want to know more about that era can head to the British Library to view the exhibit. But if you can’t go to the library, you can <a href="http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/graphic-design/how-punk-changed-design/" target="_blank">head here</a> to view the popular album covers and fanzine arts during the Punk era.