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Inside the museums,
Infinity goes up on trial.
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while.
–Bob Dylan, “Visions of Johanna,” 1965
Whether Mr. Zimmerman had a point, or just landed on a killer rhyme, one interpretation of that lyric poses the question: Once something is sanctioned as historic and institutionalized, whether within the walls of a museum or by a governing body like a UNESCO World Heritage site, is it fixed in time – static and unchanging, stripped of its vitality as an ongoing, evolving entity?
Not if you’re Orange County punk rock.
For proof, consider the exhibition opening Saturday at the Fullerton Museum Center: “Punk OC: From the Streets of Suburbia.” This immersive dive into the history of punk in Fullerton and the rest of Orange County chronicles the impact and legacy of the raw, aggressive genre that served as the soundtrack to the lives of multiple generations of local residents, as well as the region’s surf and skate subcultures. But beyond celebrating and paying homage to the past, the exhibit also includes the state of contemporary punk in the county, showing how it’s evolved while still connected to that rich history.
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