Medium
The medium of punk aesthetic shows itself in two main forms: music and tangible art, both of which are considered low art due to the ideology of authenticity, social movements, and defiance of both kitch and "high" art. Since this is focusing on visual culture, I will focus on tangible art: including zines, flyers, clothing, and photography.
This first zine, short form of magazine, is a small-circulated magazine depicting whichever attitudes of the author which wish to be acknowledged, sometimes political, sometimes diary-like, always expressive. The medium carries with it a D.I.Y tone, where often these zines are plastered together through tape and glue, borrowing fonts and patterns from magazines and newspapers, then copied onto more papers. This medium relates to visual culture because the use and creation of these zines reflects and ideology which is specific to the audience reading. The gaze allows the reader to invest themselves into the content, and to choose to read it. Most reading would already subscribe to punk aesthetic anyways, especially because of the small circulation.
Flyers existed as branding, ways to attract other like-minded audiences to attend shows.
X-Ray Spex's hit song, "Oh Bondage! Up Yours" featured a poster which worked as a means to allow audiences to interact with the stage members, solidifying medium as a form of branding. This poster is also mixed media, using a photo and overlaying text onto it. Photography existed to either replicate or highlight the punk aesthetic through the experiences of the punks. Flyers utilized photography, which originally utilized a sort of positivism, which punks turned upside down, editing these photos with text and collage to destroy the typical positivist method.
And finally, style through textiles and clothing as another means of the medium. Well-known artist and creator, Susan Margret Blane is one of the most noted creators of punk rock clothing styles. Her medium, clothing, reflects a general rejection of materialism and gender roles and are most well-known in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in characters like Dr. Frank-N-Furter. His clothing is by no means new looking or reflective of the masculine convention, like Brad.
Altogether, the use of punk aesthetic is made relevant through its medium and the idea of authenticity is pronounced through the method of creation. The medium which makes the message assures the legitimacy of the claim or purpose of the piece of art. Avoidance of popular media, such as television and newspapers reflect the counterculture of the punk aesthetic, as high numbers of views and universal recognition are not a goal of the punk aesthetic so using and displaying media through widely viewed mediums are not utilized.
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| Two different zines, Capitol Crisis and Riot Grrrl, respectively |
Flyers existed as branding, ways to attract other like-minded audiences to attend shows.
And finally, style through textiles and clothing as another means of the medium. Well-known artist and creator, Susan Margret Blane is one of the most noted creators of punk rock clothing styles. Her medium, clothing, reflects a general rejection of materialism and gender roles and are most well-known in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in characters like Dr. Frank-N-Furter. His clothing is by no means new looking or reflective of the masculine convention, like Brad.
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| Dr.Frank-N-Furter |
Altogether, the use of punk aesthetic is made relevant through its medium and the idea of authenticity is pronounced through the method of creation. The medium which makes the message assures the legitimacy of the claim or purpose of the piece of art. Avoidance of popular media, such as television and newspapers reflect the counterculture of the punk aesthetic, as high numbers of views and universal recognition are not a goal of the punk aesthetic so using and displaying media through widely viewed mediums are not utilized.