Paul Zone spent his early teenage years photographing his friends at Max's Kansas City, Mercer Arts Center, Club 82, and CBGB during New York's Glam Rock era and the early days of Punk. He became the resident DJ at Max's and, with his brothers Miki and Mandy, was in a band called The Fast. In the 1980s, Paul and Miki formed the electronic duo Man 2 Man, recording the international pop hit Male Stripper. Although Paul's photography has been exhibited in Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Canada, and the United States, Playground is the first comprehensive assemblage of his personal images from the American punk era. Jake Austen is the editor of Roctober magazine, author of TV-A-Go-Go: Rock Music on Television from American Bandstand to American Idol, co-author of Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy from Slavery to Hip Hop, and editor of Flying Saucers Rock n Roll. He also produces the all-ages dance show, Chic-A-Go-Go. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein are the founders of the punk rock band Blondie and helped pioneer the American New Wave scene of the 1970s.
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It also chronicles a watershed time when gender-bending, androgyny, and cross-dressing were just beginning to find accepting outlets in American pop culture: highlights include a shot of Baltimore drag legend Divine in a red pleather mini-dress, shaking maracas; and shots of Paul Zone s own band, The Fast, with his two brothers, with KISS-like face paint, sequin capes, and teased hair.--Carey Dunne "Brooklyn Magazine, May 28, 2015 " "Going through the book I loved the grainy private images of his subjects. Illuminated Patti Smith on stage, club kids arriving in their best attire, glam shots of Blondie and the many faces of the scene Zone was part of. He documents what he saw right there in front of him and the cool 'anything goes' attitude of these young artists starting out in such exciting times." --Emma Graney, Shutterhub