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.
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