Influence of Punk

Patrick Moriarty
Mar 3, 2016
1 min read

Punk rock music has influenced my artwork for the last few decades. The powerful imagery, colours and graphic symbols have always been eye-catching and intriguing. They provoke a reaction. My favourite punk band was The Stranglers who's first album, released in 1977, was called Rattus Norvegicus (the common rat). Their album sleeve (photographs by Trevor Rogers) had a photo of a rat strolling at sunset across a tree branch or fence as can be seen in the top left pic. When I formed my own textile design brand Paisley Power in 2014, my first design was called Rattus Norvegicus. I incorporated rat silhouettes in tribute to my favourite band. The design has become very popular, with sales in UK, France and US.

Rat fabric and products available from my Etsy shop

artwork for rat design and cover of Stranglers debut album

#rat #stranglers #punk #textiledesign

2 Comments

Emma William

Apr 20

This post does a great job showing how punk isn’t just music but a whole mindset rooted in rebellion, creativity, and DIY culture. I like how it connects the movement to broader social and political influence, making it feel relevant even today. It highlights how expression, much like a book printing company, can shape ideas and challenge norms in powerful ways.