In New Noise: Okanagan Punk and Metal, Ari Pielecki explores the small but lively subculture of extreme music in the Okanagan Valley through a series of black and white photographs produced between August 2022 and August 2024. These images invite viewers to enter the world of extreme music and engage with subcultures that they may not have known existed in the Okanagan. New Noise is an ongoing project which serves as both a documentation and celebration of the bands and venues who make it possible for these scenes to survive. Pielecki is an independent Filmmaker and Photographer who currently resides in Kelowna, B.C. on the unceded territory of the Syilx Peoples. 

For the general public, Punk and Metal bring to mind images of violent and rebellious youth, or long-haired individuals covered in far too much spiked jewelry (both groups sporting denim vests covered in illegible band logos). While these stereotypes hold some truth, these music genres have historically been misunderstood by those who are not a part of the culture which surrounds them. The “scary” aesthetic of these genres symbolizes a shared musical interest, which helps Punks and Metalheads identify others who are part of their scene. Both the Punk and Metal music scenes share something beyond their intentionally inaccessible aesthetic: a devotion to community building, and a shared love for live music. For those who are immersed in them, these music scenes represent positive connection, as well as a safe space to exist in an ever-alienating world. 

New Noise: Okanagan Punk and Metal will be on view in the Members’ Gallery from September 13 - October 5, 2024.

Ari Pielecki in the Members’ Gallery, 2024.