Agenda

On an evening like any other, an encounter in the London tube changed the life of a young, shy, Japanese photographer. Herbie Yamaguchi was on his way back home when he spotted Joe Strummer, from The Clash, in his metro wagon. After Herbie took some pictures of him, the musician shouted “You can click away of whatever you want! That’s punk!” jumping out of the tube. 50 years later, this emblematic line becomes the title of Yamaguchi’s first solo exhibition in France. The Galerie &co119 displays the body of work that sprung out of this lucky encounter. The Japanese photographer started capturing the effervescent 70s musical scene in London. His dire economic situation brought him to portray rock and punk stars out of a studio, in their natural environment. As a consequence, Yamaguchi’s shots are spontaneous and delicate, and show the intimate side of this revolutionary phenomenon. On the walls of this Parisian gallery we discover a smiley Robert Fripp, Boy George making the laundry, or Robert Plant talking on the phone.

Image by © Herbie Yamaguchi