Punk

I found todays study group on the punks to be extremely helpful when considering how it could influence my own practice and what messages they were trying to convey with there style.

Punk is:

• anti- establishment
• rebellion
• trashing own clothing- graffiti
• un-fashion
• kitch
• gordy
• shocking
• breaking ‘rules’ of fashion
• styles recycled- particularly from Dada in the 20’s
• shows how style can encompass political attitude
• Bricolage

What differences/ similarities does punk have in relation to the previous styles we have studied:

• takes inspiration from the past
• shares anti-establishment views with other styles such as hip hop and zoot suits
• conspicuous consumption in different formats- punks often bought clothes and modified and personalised there clothes by trashing them with rips, graffiti etc. eg. buying other bands tshirts and writing ‘I hate…’ – contrasting hip hop when stealing hood ornaments to imply wealth.
• recycling un-fashion objects giving new meanings. eg. safety pins vs combs and suits of teddy boys, mopeds of the mods. etc.
• Bricolage
• identities made up of more than just clothes- clothes merely visual advertising for opinions and values
• visually shocking during its time period (however much of punks style would still be shocking to this day) – breaking of rules
• resignification and exaggeration

How does what i’ve learnt influence my practice:

• who am I?
• what am I trying to say about me through my work?
• do I have any messages I want to convey?
• everything has a significance- semiotics
• how does/can juxtaposition and subversion relate to my work?- what significance does this have?
• what do my choice of materials represent?
• do i wish to over exaggerate and/or break rules?