OUGD601 - Context of Practice - Module Evaluation

For my end of module evaluation, Context of Practice has been my most successful and most enjoyable brief throughout the 3 years that I have studied. I didn’t think that I would enjoy reading and researching but actually I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and understanding throughout my dissertation. This project has been most enjoyable through the production. My final outcome consisted of me experimenting on clothing and relating it back to my essay. This was the most enjoyable as I learnt a lot about rebellion as well as different theorists and linguists.

Throughout this module I have learnt a lot about myself and the path that I would like to progress in. I learnt a lot about fashion which is something that I had very limited knowledge on. I have researched a lot and have found it very enjoyable and undesrstanding about: the conception of class identified through taste (Bourdieu, 1984), the creation of meaning in semiotic representations (Saussure, 1974), how meanings of rebellion and order are socially constructed (Lyon, 1999; Craib, 1997; Hammersley, 1992), trends in consumer behaviour (Veblen, 1994; Jenss, 2015), the crisis of representation in post-modernity (Hill, 2005; Boyne and Rattansi, 1990), the links between social order, mass media and institutes (Curran, 1982, Berger, 1972). It specifically looks at Punk as a genre of rebellion in fashion (Barnard, 2005; Price, 2004) and offers a visual analysis of rebellion in contemporary works of Kruger, Reid and Tom Ford.

I believe a lot of positive things happened for me throughout this dissertation. I have gained a bigger understanding into clothing as well as ways that graphic design has been used as a mean of rebellion. I have also linked my practical and my dissertation very well together; my dissertation has been very well formatted and has included a lot of triangulation throughout which is something that I didn’t do so well in last year. I also think I have gained a bigger understanding in language itself. Looking at lynguists such as Saussure I have learnt the important of meaning (signified and signifier).

I did however, struggle at times. Being dyslexic I had to get a tutor to teach me how to structure my dissertation as well as improving my English. What I found most difficult about this module was the deadline as English literature isn’t my strongest point therefore it took me multiple attempts to even get the structure down. However, once I got a bit of assistance and guidance, the dissertation was very pleasant to continue and enabled me learn more about fashion and how it can be used to challenge dominant ideologies.

My practical was done to a satisfactory level where I have showed that I have cross-referenced in between my practical and my dissertation. I have also used much more research to expend my practical which is something that I didn’t do as much last year; last year I would not cross-reference from my practical to the dissertation which made it harder for the viewer to understanding the similarities between the practical and the dissertation.

To conclude, this module has been very rewarding in terms of knowledge gained. As I look back at my journey, without the dissertation I wouldn’t have the knowledge and understanding that I would require to start my own clothing line. I have also learnt more about theorists such as Bourdieu who was a controversial as he linked taste to social class hierarchy. By learning more about Bourdieu it helped me understand class structure and how we use mediums of graphic design and fashion design to  challenged the idea of power through materials and tools for expression. Punk, protested against the excessive spending and luxury materials associated with being classed fashionable, which rebelled to the structures of class and its associated taste, materials and lifestyle norms. To finish, I believe I have learnt a lot about fashion and graphic design and can now use the imput that I learnt to put this into my practical for the remaining modules.

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Design Boards

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Design Boards by Danny Carter on Scribd

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Synthesis

Synthesis linking the practical to my dissertation. 

Fashion and Graphic Design is a reflection of how we think, behave, the values, beliefs and lifestyles we associate ourselves with. It can challenge dominant authorities and can be used as a form of rebellion against socio-cultural norms. People will always acquire new goods in order to distinguish themselves from others, this is what we call the social hierarchy. 

Punk used ‘materials and objects that had hitherto been deemed worthless or ugly to be worn on and in parts of the body that had not hitherto been adorned’. In the Punk era, objects that were previously discarded now had a much greater value and were considered desirable. Subsequently, clothes now had a medium through which to express their opinion. By using badges and hand-rendered techniques such as screen-printing it shows ways in which graphic design has been used as a way to construct and maintain positions of political power in society and contest codes of social order. 

For the first time ever, images of art have become ephemeral, ubiquitous, insubstantial, available, valueless, free. They surround us in the same way as a language surrounds us. They have entered the mainstream of life over which they no longer, in themselves, have power’. As images and words are being used so much in todays society we forget the meaning and messages behind them. Within the clothing, typography is the only illustration on the clothing. This forces the consumer/viewer to see these slogans and interprets a message of rebellion and chaos. 

Words and images are on more of less everything and more of less everywhere. The clothes that were created had various slogans and phrases that have used throughout my dissertation, that are linked with rebellion as well as the most iconic rebellious era of punk. What people wore was political in the sense that clothing is a means of contesting and challenging class and identities.

Fashion is not a social and cultural identity, but instead, used as a symbol. Saussure uses this ‘symbol’ as a ‘sign’ that is created through the union between a signifier (the sound-image) and a signified (the concept it represents). The signifier, within the practical is the message within the graphics  and the signified  is fashion and rebellion.  The use of symbols and signs is evident in the May 1968 French student revolution where they use the screen prints to produce mass production of rebellious designs going against the government. The practical was created via screen-printing to highlight that hand-rendered methods were used during the French student revolution as well as during the punk era; students created images of counterculture that challenged the government whilst punk challenged dominant ideologies and class structure. 

I created various pieces of clothing challenging people’s value systems through using recycled, cheap materials to produce ‘art’. It was the medium of screen printing that  paved the way for new voices in society to be heard; art was made quickly, easily and cheaply by students using hand rendered techniques from accessible tools that challenged powerhouses of mass production. Since screen-printing was used as a mean of rebellion through mass production, I have attempted the same ideology by creating numerous (mens to womens fashion) clothing that will be used to promote rebellion through mass production. 

To conclude, my practical is based on the punk era that challenged dominant authorities through a ‘do it your self’ attitude. I created numerous designs of clothing to encourage rebellion through mass production; by having more clothes the messages will be read more therefore, expressing the meaning of rebellion. We live in a world where meanings are no longer fixed, therefore my practical is an attempt of bringing back meaning to words and images. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Final Outcomes

Creating a punk inspired rebellion clothing.

The “do it your self” attitude of punk challenged people’s value systems and allowed new trends in consumer behavior to emerge (Barnard, 2002)

Punks challenged the idea of spending excessively to be classed fashionable therefore, rebelling to the structures of class and its associated taste, materials and lifestyle norms.

For my final outcome, I have created a large scale of clothing (relating to mass production) that were screen-printed. Throughout this outcome, I didn’t have a plan or structure; all the slogans/phrases were screenprinted randomly. 

I wanted to create something that would express rebellion, using a method that has been previously used in past histories; 1968 Student revolution. I also used only typography to make the words have a meaning (relating back to Kruger and signified/signifier).

Consumption is much more than the act of purchasing goods or services. It is ‘a stage in a process of communication […] an act of deciphering coding, which presupposes practical or explicit mastery of a decipher or a code’ (Bourdieu1984: xxv). Therefore, the capacity to “see” derives from knowledge of concepts and words available to name and perceive visible things (ibid: xxv).

Here is a small selection of clothes that I have created by using screenprinting as a mean of communication. I also created more than one outcome to challenge and express mass production. With mass-produced clothing, consumers are being disjointed with the clothes, fuelling the idea of second and third cycles of consumption which means not ending up being put in the dump but instead ‘acquiring new values in a highly diversified, global market for used clothing’ (Jenss, 2015:28).

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Development (2)

Throughout the 1970’s punk used buttons, badges and everyday materials were used as a tool for the expression of rebellion, fashion design empowered ordinary people to threaten dominant ideologies, beliefs and value systems and supported classes lower in the social hierarchy of power.

Throughout this stage, I wanted to add more to my clothing to make them appear more second hand as well as making them appear more within the punk era by using scissors, paper clips and badges. 

A lot of clothing made in the 1970’s was created by yourself. I wanted to illustrate this by ripping into the clothes and making clothing such as t-shirts now vests. Again, everything was very random and was created with the intention of making everything random, nothing was to be organised. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Development (2)

Punk and collage and their mediums of expression challenged what Bourdieu described as a social distinction in values between ‘noble’ taste or “art”, legitimated by the educational system, and inferior taste of the lower class “mass culture” that lacks nobility (Bourdieu, 1984). 

This shows how fashion designers have political power to challenge trends and social order to express rebellion from social norms.

Throughout this process, I bought more clothes than usual to represent the idea of mass production. By screen-printing slogans I was expressing the view of the ‘low’ culture who wanted to blurr boundaries. Everything created has been used with the idea of ‘do it yourself’.

Throughout this stage, I wanted to create something that wasn’t organised and wasn’t tidy and neat. By using my hands which were covered in paint, I decided to experiment by placing my hands onto the clothing  to make them appear more dirty and challenging.   

I decided to screen print on the acetate paper so that when I placed the items of clothing the wet paint would create imprint of slogans on the back of the  t-shirts. 

Mass production devalues the meaning of products as people over consume to the point of forgetting the meaning of products themselves (Jenss, 2015).

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Screen-printing Development (1)

Historically, art was inseparable from ‘authority’ associated with the places of its production. 

On May 14th,1968,  students started visualising their rebellion by creating images of counterculture that challenged the government. 

Using a distinctive style that is still used today in political demonstrations; students created hand rendered, screen printed images with anti-capitalist slogans that represented their political stance.

Similar to how punk challenged people’s value systems through using recycled, cheap materials to produce ‘art’, the medium of screen printing paved the way for new voices in society

For my final outcome, I will be using screen printing as it is a medium of rebellion that was used by students to express their opinion. Screen-printing enables to the typography used to have more meaning. Now that words and images are used more frequently in the post-modern era, we forget the important behind the meaning (signified and signifier)  of the word. This links to Barbara Kruger who used slogans and phrases within Selfridges to make the consumer more aware about 

The signifier, here is the message and meaning within the graphics (the sound-image) and the signified (the concept it represents) is fashion and rebellion.  

Similar to how punk challenged people’s value systems through using recycled, cheap materials to produce ‘art’, the medium of screen printing paved the way for new voices in society.

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Initial ideas

Before going to the screen-printing room, it was important to have an understanding of what sort of designs I will be going for. I wanted to create something that was random to express the opinion that punk had.  

Punk their mediums of expression challenged what Bourdieu described as a social distinction in values between ‘noble’ taste or “art”, legitimated by the educational system, and inferior taste of the lower class “mass culture” that lacks nobility. 

Punk was a rebellion for the low class against the upper and middle class. These designs will be a guide for me to use as they are designs that have been randomly been placed. 

I will be screen printing because it will communicate the rebellious spirit of their times through an evolution in mediums for expression in art that are accessible by all classes. By using screen-printing it relates to how people within the punk era used hand-rendered techniques to create their clothing. 

The positives will be used to create the screen boards to then create screen printed clothing. 

Initial ideas for my clothing design. I wanted to illustrate the importance of my designs being random. 

Initial idea for screen-printing 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Research (8) Postmodernity

Postmodernity:

Quotes that I could consider using for my dissertation: 

“Since the 1980s it has engendered a huge sometimes angry, sometimes anxious, debate in many disciplines from geography to theology and from philosophy to political science” (Lyon 1999: 6)

“But in everyday life, the postmodern may be seen in the blurring of boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture’ the collapse of hierarchies of knowledge, taste and opinion; and the interest in the local rather than the universal” (Lyon 1999: 10).

‘Postmodernity’, on the other hand, while still concentrating on the exhaustion of modernity, has to do with the putative social changes” (Lyon 1999: 10).

The Postmodern is rightly associated with a society where consumer lifestyles and mass consumption dominate the waking lives of its members. Fashion and taste are eclectic” (Lyon 1999: 71)

“What we have not yet discussed in any depth is the rise of consumerism, and the possibility that in the contemporary creation of the new consumer lies a crucial clue for understanding postmodernity and postmodernism(Lyon 1999: 70).

Certainly it is hard to find clear cultural boundary markers today. The rise of consumerism and of TV viewing has accelerated the ‘implosion’ of reality, obscuring previously herished distinctions between highbrow and lowbrow, between the culture of the elite and the culture of the masses” (Lyon 1999: 73).

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Research (7) Punk

I will also be targeting those who want to challenge the high and low culture. The ideal aesthetic in the pre-punk era stipulated a fashionably neat and conservative appearance. This challenged the era that was known for being near and conservative. Punk broke all the rules to social hierarchy. This is a mass rebellion against mass production. ideologies, challenging the middle-class view and the value of money within fashion. 

The genre of Punk challenged people’s value systems and in doing so, exemplifies the way in which fashion is a means of communicating rebellion through trends in consumer culture: the rise of new trends in consumption of fashion can pave the way for new voices in society.

Punk was the most iconic rebellion that changed the way that people thought and dressed. Punk was trash culture gone avant-garde and the avant-garde gone trash. 

Punk however, enabled ‘materials and objects that had hitherto been deemed […] worthless or ugly [to be] worn on and in parts of the body that had not hitherto been adorned’. 

From my observations and research, Punk was an era that challenged dominant ideologies and challenged what people wore. Advertisers use images as symbols to represent reality and communicate something about a product or service that exists in the real world (Barnard, 2005). 

Punk was a dark era that consisted of the “do it your self” attitude of punk challenged people’s value systems and allowed new trends in consumer behaviour to emerge

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Research (6) Typography

Rebellion was reflected through the medium of collage; juxtapositions of unconnected images and typography were brought together to create a sense of disorganisation and anti-institutionalism through paradoxical organisation of the composition.

Jamie Reid (1977) uses an image of Queen Elizabeth’s face in a collage promoting the Sex Pistols’ album entitled ‘God Save The Queen’. The cover’s image had power to shock through its unexpected association of a member of monarchy with the medium of collaged portraiture. Reid replaced the Queen’s eyes and mouth with crude slogans promoting the album.

Since I will be using typography to communicate the message of rebellion, it is important to research typography that has been used within the punk era. 

I then decided to experiment with typefaces that would link and express the punk era. Through research it is evident that typography wasn’t neat and organised. Typefaces from the punk era are made to look as if it was made by hand; most designers and typography was created using hand-rendered methods such as print-screen to express their views of the post-modern society. 

I will be using some of these typefaces within my designs to express the ideology that punk carried which was to blurr boundaries and to make the most of a “do it yourself” attitude. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Research (5) Bourdieu

Social Order – Pierre Bourdieu (A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste)

To the socially recognised hierarchy of the arts corresponds a social hierarchy of consumers. This predisposes tastes to function as markers of class (Bourdieu1984:xxv).

“Bourdieu explains his vision about the cultural field. He compared it to the economic world where individuals aim to collect and accumulate resources and rewards, in terms of cultural goods, to beat competition, and gain distinction, preponderance and predomination over social status, this distinction, according to Bourdieu, is achieved given the strict connection to economic distribution of material goods, that emulates and brings value”

Critics of Bourdieu.

Consumption is not based on social structure anymore, but/rather reflects the multiple collection agglomeration of lifestyles – due to post-modernism

Study doesn’t take into account the ethnicity. Hes been ‘tied’ by the French legislation therefore his results have come straight from France itself, doesn’t take into consideration other nationalities.

He categorises the upper and lower group of social classes in a very simple/general way. He categorises the taste of the social classes.

Habitus is used as a universal mechanism for classification. (Habitus – categorising people)

Applications of Bourdieu in my essay:

Habitus could be acted upon as a mean of rebellion through challenging the social groups/classes by taste and social logic.

-- Kruger: Appealing to people with money.  Rebellion against over consumption by the upper class. Ironic? – encouraging both the lower and upper class to consume.  Kruger says the universal mechanism for classification of upper class is overconsumption.

Quotes to consider using within my dissertation: 

“To the socially recognized hierarchy of the arts, and within each of them, of genres, schools or periods, corresponds a social hireachy of the consumers. This predisposes tastes to function as markers of ‘class’ (Bourdieu 1984:).

“The naïve exhibitionism of ‘conspicuous consumption’, which seeks distinction in the crude display of ill-mastered luxury, is nothing compared to the unique capacity of the pure gaze, a quasi-creative power which sets the aesthete apart from the common herd by a radical difference which seems to be inscribed in ‘persons’ (Bourdieu 1984: 23). The public are placed into two ‘antaganoistic castes’ of those who understand and those who do not. Bourdieu comments that you have to have an understanding of the charismatic ideology driven from art in order to be able to understand ‘art’ which others have been denied” (Bourdieu 1984). By contrast, the young art helps the “best” to know and recognise one another in the greyness of the multitude and to learn their mission, which is to be few in number and to have to fight against the multitude.  In the past times museums, paintings, music and even books were seen as pleasures for the rich rather than the ‘common’ people.  This is an example where the social class divided people based on their wealth and stability.

“Objectively and subjectively aesthetic stances adopted in matters like cosmetics, clothing or home decoration are opportunities to experience or assert one’s position in social space, as a rank to be upheld or a distance to be kept. It goes without saying that the social classes are not equally inclined and prepared to enter this game of refusal and counter-refusal” (Bourdieu 1984:50). People are able to view different cultures through visual interaction or experience.

“A class is defined as much by its being-perceived as by its being, by its consumption- which need not be conspicuous in order to be symbolic- as much as by its position in the relations of production” (Bourdieu 1984:485). The class/group is defined by its being, but also through inevitable projects through their practices which makes them part of the social reality.