A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
Dr John Schofield, of the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, and independent researcher Dr Paul Graves-Brown have been examining the graffiti, which was discovered on the walls of the flat that the punk group rented in London in the mid-1970s, now used as offices.
Dr Schofield and Dr Graves-Brown suggest that the building could meet the criteria for a blue plaque, awarded in England to buildings of major historical significance.
The researchers carried out a detailed analysis of the graffiti’s content and its cultural significance and, though they concede it could be considered rude, offensive and uncomfortable, they contend that its presence confirms the Denmark Street flat as an important historical and archaeological site.
They photographed and made a complete digitised tracing of the graffiti, most of which is by John Lydon (aka Rotten) and consists of eight cartoons depicting himself and other members of the band, as well as their manager, Malcolm McLaren, and other Pistols’ associates.
In their study in archaeological research journal Antiquity, Dr Schofield and Dr Graves-Brown argue that the intact graffiti, found behind cupboards in the property, is art and lends itself to archaeological investigation.
They suggest that the graffiti may be of greater significance than the discovery of early Beatles recordings and say that it is “a direct and powerful representation of a radical and dramatic movement of rebellion.”
Dr Schofield said: “The tabloid press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered at the BBC were the most important archaeological find since Tutankhamun’s tomb. The Sex Pistols’ graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and — to our minds — usurps it.”
The researchers refer to the site as “anti-heritage” because it contradicts what agencies and heritage practitioners typically value, and even what is generally regarded as landscape and place.
However, they added: “We feel justified in sticking our tongues out at the heritage establishment and suggesting that punk’s iconoclasm provides the context for conservation decision-making. Our call is for something that directly follows punk’s attitude to the mainstream, to authority; contradicting norms and challenging convention.
“This is an important site, historically and archaeologically, for the material and evidence it contains. But should we retain it for the benefit of this and future generations? In our view, with anti-heritage, different rules apply. The building is undoubtedly important, and could meet criteria for listing or for a blue plaque, if not now then in time.”
Other music-related “blue plaque” buildings in England include John Lennon’s childhood home in Liverpool, Bob Marley’s first London home and the London flat of Jimi Hendrix.
This is slightly confusing. Surely 'anti-heritage' would mean not preserving the graffiti, because as soon as you put a blue plaque on that building it's so establishment it deserves a capital 'E'.
Why not take pics of the graffiti, then open the room to the public, who can add their own graffiti to it? It would become a constantly changing artwork, and maybe a bit of a celebration of irreverence.
To be fair the Sex Pistols became 'establishment with a capital E' when Johnny Rotten started selling Anchor Butter.
Oh God I'd managed to erase the memory of that awful advert. I take it all back.
You must log in to submit a comment.
Report