Germfree Adolescents

March 9 - April 10, 2021



front gallery - installation view: Poly Phonic Swirl; Cleans Her Teeth Ten Times a Day; Midnight Splash; Heather Refresher; Germfree Adolescent


front gallery - installation view: Poly Phonic Swirl; Cleans Her Teeth Ten Times a Day; Midnight Splash


front gallery - installation view: Heather Refresher; Germfree Adolescent


front gallery - installation view: Heather Refresher; Germfree Adolescent; Highly Inflammable; Flower Child


front gallery - installation view: Highly Inflammable; Flower Child


Emily Hartley-Skudder’s third solo exhibition with Jonathan Smart Gallery takes its name from the song and album Germfree Adolescents by British punk band X-Ray Spex. Front woman Poly Styrene became an icon for modern-day feminist punk and was known for her synthetic dayglo wardrobe. While scrubbing her teeth on national television, she explained; “I chose the name Poly Styrene because it’s a lightweight, disposable product”. Other song titles on the album include: Art-I-Ficial, Plastic Bag, I am a Cliché, Highly Inflammable, Warrior in Woolworths and The Day the World Turned Dayglo.

The album Germfree Adolescents was written by Poly Styrene, and recorded and released in 1978.

 


back gallery - installation view: Pewter Fizz; Back To School Beau; Poly Styrene


For more information on this show and Emily's practice, the following interview by Becky Hemus for The ART Paper is a great read:
https://www.the-art-paper.com/emily-hartley-skudder-interview-germfree-adolescents/

 


Individual Works



Poly Phonic Swirl



Poly Phonic Swirl - detail



Cleans Her Teeth Ten Times a Day


Cleans Her Teeth Ten Times a Day - detail



Midnight Splash



Midnight Splash - detail



Heather Refresher



Heather Refresher - detail



Germfree Adolescent



Germfree Adolescent - detail



Highly Inflammable



Highly Inflammable - detail



Flower Child


Flower Child - detail



Pewter Fizz



Pewter Fizz - detail



Back To School Beau



Back To School Beau - detail



Poly Styrene



Poly Styrene - detail

 

 

Emily Hartley-Skudder and Hamish Coleman installing Heather Refresher and Germfree Adolescent

 

 

Details of works