Stages and Forms

Marvelling at food packaging with my son, reading an explanation of the ‘limited edition’ artwork as celebrating the past, present, future, and a joyous exchange between generations. We recognised a series of circles and lines that didn’t give that much away, but cultural stipends must be paid, debts settled, so on and so forth.

Punk rock is simple, visceral, and perhaps at times, oddly poignant, or at the very least expressive. There could be some joy to be found in its simplicity, its accessibility and reckless abandonment, particularly at a given time and stage of one’s development. I can’t pretend it didn’t play its part in my own youth. But I wouldn’t want to wrap my chocolates in it, though.

Different stages and forms of cultural expression may mean a great deal to some people. Any form will matter, somehow, to someone. But I can’t pretend it all matters to all people, or that it should. I can be touched by Dante’s epic, and I can be moved by the warm repeats of an analogue delay pedal - but not everyone will be - and I want my kids to be able to tell the difference. Culture matters.