From the Sex Pistols to the Shanghai punks, a photo exhibition will bring to life three of the most disruptive and influential youth tribes of the 1970s and 1980s at Source art gallery. They were seen to be tearing up the rules.

Graffiti in Pudong, mahjong in parks, skateboarding in malls, body piercing and tattoos, Changle Road sneaker shops, construction cranes and building sites. They are all said to be part of Shanghai's "street culture," a relatively new concept for China.

In a new exhibition, "Fear of a Young Planet," the global and Chinese roots of street culture will be shown in striking photographs from tomorrow through March 10.

They bring to life three of the most influential youth tribes from the 1970s and 1980s at Source gallery, Shanghai's biggest street art gallery.

"From the Sex Pistols to the Shanghai punks, it's a trip through disruptive and influential youth cultures," says Nick Barham from Source.

While the styles varied, the reaction to these expressive youngsters was often the same. They were regarded with fear, distrust, and anger.

"They were seen to be tearing up the rules, destroying society, but now it's possible to see how much influence these groups have had on today's styles and attitudes," says Barham.

The 1970s and 1980s in China were very different from those decades in the West. Some of the most exciting and disruptive youth groups that shaped contemporary street culture, punk, hip-hop and rave, never had a strong presence here.

Chinese youth today are more locked into global fashion and music.

"We thought it would be interesting to show some of the roots of current styles and attitude. The energy in China and the speed at which younger people are throwing off old habits means they have a lot in common with the people and attitudes in the exhibition," explains Barham.

The exhibition will feature work from some of the period's best photographers, including British-born Paul Hartnett.

"From the skinheads with their shaved heads and bleached jeans, to punks with their paint-splattered leather jackets and strategically ripped pants. What intrigues me most is their motivations to dress-up, their resourcefulness and their need to be seen as an individual," says Hartnett.

For 30 years, Hartnett has been documenting youth culture around the world. "I have seen butterflies and moths," he says. "The butterflies flit from idea to idea and always stay dynamic. The less fortunate, like moths, are attracted to the demons of drink, drugs and sexual promiscuity. So many of the subjects I have photographed had brief existences."

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