De Detroit
Vallen 1979
Pen on paper 8" x 10"

I drew this marker pen sketch of singer De Detroit as she performed with her band UXA (United Experiments of America) at L.A.'s Hong Kong Cafe. The band's aggressive sound combined with De's poetic lyrics won them legions of fans. They released a brilliant album titled Illusions of Grandeur that remains one of my favorite punk releases to this day.

There were many women involved in the punk movement, which was one of the few areas where women were able to create freely without being controlled by men. Quite a few bands were lead by women, and their presence was not based on their being sexual objects. In fact, many punks attacked mainstream corporate rock for being a sexist realm that included women only as playthings.