Tagged: activism

final major project: initial primary research

U S I N G  A R T  A S  A C T I V I S M : C H E E R  U P  L U V

To start off my investigation, research and idea generation for my FMP I wanted to experience first-hand what creatives are doing to provoke thought and change with their work, focusing on the feminist debates I researched for my statement of intent. Cheer Up Luv is a photojournalism project I’ve followed for a while, by Brighton graduate Eliza Hatch. Hatch interviews women all over the country on their experiences of sexual harassment and pairs their story with 35mm-shot portrait, to create a collection of profiles of victims of public harassment. The collected stories are posted on @cheerupluv on Instagram as well as on the project’s website, cheerupluv.com.

I love the goal of this project to raise awareness and create a community of support and solidarity for victims. Cheer Up Luv is a great example of using art as activism. I am particularly interested in the use of photography, film and journalism to spread messages and provoke change through a creative output.

I feel people are more likely to pay attention and engage with a form of activism if it is inclusive and easily accessible, and presented in a visually pleasing/intriguing way. Using the internet and social media to spread the word and gain support and awareness is an increasingly successful and effective way that projects can gain popularity.

Cheer Up Luv on Instagram @cheerupluv

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F U T U R E R E S E A R C H

There are particular concepts, topics and artists I was not able to research in this module but that I definitely want to explore in my final major project:

Martha Harris’ presentation on typography in activism:

Martha Harris’ presentation on typography in political settings has inspired me to look at political/activist posters and the constructivist style of early revolution posters, continuing through to the punk era and how artists and musicians adopted these styles – limited colours (2-3), geometrics/Art Deco shapes. Also how designers such as Rodchenko and Lizzitsky had started to feature strong or working women in their imagery, which could translate well into my proposed project.

The punk era aimed to destroy bourgeois/middle class imagery and the groups such as the Sex Pistols in particular referenced Communist propaganda in their album artwork and posters.

I also intend to look at Linder Sterling and her work for Jon Savage’s Secret Public zine, which used collage, photography and type in a way that I am interested in recreating or experimenting with.

I also want to look into DIY activist merchandise e.g. handmade banners and placards as this relates to my research I’ve carried out into the issues of mass-produced merchandise, and how we could alternatively create our own, more personal and therefore powerful messages.

Barbara Kruger – Martha made an interesting point about how Kruger’s more current work is more commercial than her earlier pieces, perhaps more relevant to fashion communication – Does this blur the boundaries between political messages and capitalism? Is this intended?

Spare Rib zine 1972-1993 – After Martha mentioned this feminist zine I discovered that all issues are available to read online on the British Library – so I want to explore this further for ideas about content and self-designed/published books.

Further reading/booklist:

Andersson, Patrik; Steedman, Judith. “Inside magazines: Independent pop culture magazines.” (London: Thames & Hudson, 2002). Print.

Barnard, Malcolm. “Fashion as communication.” (London: Routledge, 2002). Print.

Duncombe, Stephen. “Notes from the underground: Zines and the politics of alternative culture.” (Bloomington, Ind.: Microcosm, 2008). Print.

Fawcett-Tang, Roger; O’Reilly, John. “Experimental formats: Books, brochures, catalogues.” (Crans-Près-Céligny; Hove: RotoVision, c2001). Print.

Fawcett-Tang, Roger. “Experimental formats 2: Books, brochures, catalogues.” (Mies; Hove: RotoVision, c2005). Print.

Glaser, Milton; Ilić, Mirko. “The design of dissent.” (Gloucester, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, c2005). Print.

Hack, Jefferson; Furniss, Jo-Ann. “Dazed and confused: Making it up as we go along: A visual history of the magazine that broke all the rules.” (New York: Rizzoli, 2011). Print.

Leslie, Jeremy. “Issues: New magazine culture.” (London: Laurence King, 2000). Print.

Leslie, Jeremy. “MagCulture: New magazine design.” (London: Laurence King, 2003). Print.

Piepmeier, Alison. “Girl zines: Making media, doing feminism.” (New York: New York University Press, 2009). Print.

Scott, Linda M. “Fresh lipstick: Redressing fashion and feminism.” (New York; Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). Print.

FMP RESEARCH: W E E K 1/2

I began my research for Part 2 of this brief by thinking about issues or activism I am interested in. My dissertation topic is querying the revival of 1950s lingerie/corsetry and how this relates to the eroticism of this time period as well as the present day. Through my research and writing for my dissertation I became interested in the matter of lingerie, erotic imagery and fetishism as a feminist issue and the debates around it, so I particularly want to investigate feminist issues or imagery for my FMP.

I began my research for this brief by looking initially at feminism in fashion – for example the rising trend of feminist slogan t-shirts and campaigns, and the issues that arise with this in a capitalist society – asking the question, can fashion ever really be feminist? I think this is an interesting area to research and interrogate as there is a huge rise of feminist discourse particularly online and in art collectives, but there is a feeling that feminist acts in the fashion industry are quite superficial or meaningless, due to design, production and marketing methods.

I progressed my research into feminist discussion through image-making, by looking into Riot Grrrl zines and the aesthetics, characteristics and topics they adopted. I am particularly interested in self-published zines as a form of rebellion, and the fact that they can defy all norms or expected qualities of  because of this. I began to question whether it is possible to create a subversive fashion publication, going against the expectations of how one should be designed, the content inside it and how it generally talks about fashion and style, and addresses the reader.

I want to continue my research into alternative graphic design, image-making and aesthetics for publications, to begin thinking of ideas for my own publication, and the identity, tone and discussion it will provide.