The Metropolitan Museum’s new Costume Institute exhibition, PUNK: Chaos to Couture, opens for member previews tomorrow (the gala benefit is set to take place this evening). Punk fashion is getting the art show treatment from one of the largest and arguably most prestigious museums in the United States. This should be a real thrill for anyone that cares for novel experiences.
Eric Wilson from The New York Times just tweeted the preview photo above, a replica of the toilets at iconic punk venue, CBGB — “[they’re] complete with ciggie butts,” he wrote, “Met will never be the same again.”
Wish that were true, but despite the attention to detail, there’s no indication that the toilets are functional, which seems like a missed opportunity. Making Anna Wintour and other fancy fashion show guests use a disgusting bathroom “complete with ciggie butts?” That would have easily justified the existence of the entire exhibition. Otherwise, this installation is either a diorama or, to entertain the high-concept possibilities, some sort of terrible, boring reference to Duchamp’s Fountain, a way of claiming punk as a conceptual art or tying it to 20th century experimentation in anti-aesthetics.
Another way this is a missed opportunity: As you might know, the former CBGB space is currently a John Varvatos boutique. Let’s see what that bathroom looks like…
Related: You Know What’s Not Punk?
