Bovver boots, which Renata Przemyk wore during her performance on stage in 1989 at Jarocin festival, are the artist’s donation for the Polish Rock Granary. This type of footwear has become an iconic element of Jarocin image and was adopted by Polish rock fans as a symbol of dissent and rebellion. Although usually associated with punk apparel, bovver boots were used frequently outside this milieu, as illustrated by the case of Renata Przemyk who had little to do with punk music.
Born in 1966 Renata Przemyk started her career in her teens in Eksperyment and Rewizja jazz-rock bands. In 1988 she had her first performance at the 24th Festival of Students’ Songs in Cracow, and a year later at the same festival she won with her band Ya Hozna the Grand Prix and the journalists’ award. After that she was invited to perform at Jarocin, where she has been twice before – in 1984 and 1985 – as a participant. Her performance proved to be a huge success: the punk audience reacted enthusiastically, as the band used accordion, double bass, and a style quite unlike any other regular performer at the festival. This concert marked a breakthrough for Renata Przemyk’s future career.
The Polish Rock Granary dedicated particular attention to the role of women in the history of Polish rock music. Without question Przemyk is one of the most prominent Polish alternative rock stars of the 1980s. Simultaneously, the bovver boots she donated also remind of the particular importance of fashion in youth culture of the late 1980s, which involved searching for unique garments in markets and bazaars, as well as modifying cloths and sewing i.e. crafts that allowed to create one’s own, individual, and original look.
