In the late 70s the post-punk legends that are Joy Division were at the height of their greatness, producing a debut album and tracks that have inspired music for generations that followed, on the back of their own punk influences. However, large bodies of their seminal work was released posthumously for the band’s iconic lead singer, Ian Curtis.
Now more than 30 years on, such is the brilliance of Joy Division’s short lived musical output, people still travel far and wide to visit the little town of Macclesfield (Ian Curtis’ hometown) to pay their respects. The ashes of his remains are buried at the Macclesfield Cemetery and Crematorium and the new exhibition at XOYO, London, is a year long snapshot of the location’s influence on music lovers worldwide.
On the 18th of every month between 2009 and 2010 – including the 30th anniversary of his death – PhD student and photographer Jennifer Otter visited the cemetery to take a picture of the shrine-like location. The work forms the basis of the Joy Devotion exhibition (A Year in the Life of a Rock Shrine at the Ian Curtis Memorial Stone), documenting the life, death and musical legacy of Ian Curtis, as well as the 2,000 strong annual visitors to the site and the trinkets and tributes that seem to evolve at the location throughout the year.
The Joy Devotion exhibition opens at the XOYO Gallery on Thursday 19th July 2012 with a Private Viewing that’s open to all. Running through until the 31st July, it’s a relatively short exhibition to see a rare display of devotion. The XOYO Gallery opens 10am – 6pm Monday to Friday.
