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| Punk in Different Medias |
Extracted from Wikipedia's "Punk Subculture" article:
The punk subculture which centres around punk rock music include a considerably diverse array of ideologies, fashions and forms of expression, including visual art, dance, literature and film. The subculture is largely characterised by anti-establishment views and the promotion of individual freedom. The punk subculture is centred on a loud, aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock.
Although punks are frequently categorised as having left-wing or progressive views, punk politics cover the entire political spectrum. Punk related ideologies are mostly concerned with individual freedom and anti-establishment views. Common punk viewpoints include anti-authoritarianism, a DIY ethic, non-conformity, direct action and not selling out.
Early punk fashion adapted everyday objects for aesthetic effect, such as T-shirts, leather jackets (Often decorated with painted band logos, pins and buttons, and metal studs or spikes), footwear such as Converse sneakers, skater shoes, brothel creepers, or Dr. Martens boots. Hardcore punk fans however adopted a dressed-down sort of style, by simply wearing T-shirts, jeans, combats boots or sneakers and crewcut-style haircuts. Women within the hardcore scene would normally dress in army pants, band T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.
One of the biggest parts of punk was creating explicitly outward identities of sexuality. Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front, bother literally and figuratively. For some punks, the body was a symbol of opposition, a political statement expression disgust of all that was "normal" and socially accepted. The idea was to make others outside of the subculture question their own views, which made gender, gender presentation and gender identity a popular factor to be played with. Men could look like women, women could look like men, or one could look like both or neither. There was a notable amount of cross-dressing in the punk scene, it was not unusual to see men wearing ripped up skirts, fishnet tights and excessive makeup, or to see women with shaved heads were oversized plaid shirts and jean jackets and heavy combat boots. Punk created a new cultural space for androgyny and all kinds of gender expression.
In the punk and hardcore subcultures, members of the scene are often evaluated in terms of the authenticity of their commitment to the values or philosophies of the scene, which may range from political beliefs to lifestyle practices. In the punk subculture, the term 'poser' is used to describe "a person who habitually pretends to be something he or she is not." The term is used to refer to a person who adopts the dress, speech, and/or mannerisms of a particular subculture, yet who is deemed to not share or understand the values of philosophy of the subculture.
Extracted from Wikipedia's "Punk Ideologies" Article:
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as anti-establishment, equality, freedom, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, direct action, free thought and non-conformity. These ideologies are usually expressed through music, literature and spoken word recordings, fashion or visual art. Some punks have participated in direct action, such as protests, boycotts, squatting, vandalism, or property destruction.
Punk fashion was originally an expression of nonconformity, as well as opposition to both mainstream culture and the status-quo. Punk fashion often displays aggression, rebellion, and individualism. Some punks wear clothing or have tattoos that express sociopolitical messages. Many punk wear second hand clothing partly as an anti-consumerist statement.
On religious issues, punk is mostly atheist or agnostic, but some punk bands have promoted religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, the Rastafari movement or Krishna.
Extracted from Pages 3-4 of "Punk Style" by Monica Sklar:
Popular perceptions presumes that punk is rooted in the music. But, in fact, the music and fashion have always developed simultaneously and in conjunction (Which is true of many subcultures beyond punk). The early days of the punk scene were a blend of fashion, music, politics, hooliganism, youth culture, avant-garde artists, intellectuals, societal outcasts, and the generally disenfranchised. Punk today continues to contain most of those elements, and thus it is not solely a musical form, or even a music based community. Instead, it is a lifestyle choice often shaped into communities by individuals who think along the same lines. Music is an outlet expression of ideas and creativitiy , and punk music shows are a gathering place for the community. “I tend to view punk as much less about a style of clothing and more so about a way of being in the world”, said Matt, a self-identified punk.
Extracted from Pages 6 of "Punk Style" by Monica Sklar:
... it is clear that the image of the mohawked, tartan-wearing, spikes and chains adorned, middle-finger-waving punk is not wholly accurate as a descriptor of all who identify as punk. Some of those interviewed for this book do, in fact, dress close to that iconic style as a form of artistic and identity expression. It is not that the look is fabrication or has ceased to exist; it is simply not as rigid a punk norm as outsiders may believe.
The iconic punk style, mostly rotted in 1970s British fashion, is still in existance, but it has developed into a form of caricature and few choose to utilise all of its most exaggerated elements simultaneously. This is particularly true among those punks who are not in a performance context. It certainly has lived on throughout the decades and been transformed to meet the expressive needs of punks around the globe, but its origins and the apex of its popularity were specific to a time and place- since then, other looks have represented other punk genres, times, and contexts.
One thing to consider is that there were always other kinds of punk dress besides "the iconic look", such as the 1970s New York look rooted in jeans, T-shirts, and tattered American street wear mixed with a few avant-garde elements. This look remains popular and influential, especially within the United States. Another consideration is that many subsequent movements within punk or adjacent to punk have influenced punk style or have been incorporated into the overall aesthetic. This is especially true of later generations of punks, such as mods and glams, who appropriated the stylistic influences of previous generations. Hence, today multiple modes of appearance would qualify as punk style. For example, contemporary punks sometimes dress in more subtle ways. Audra said: "I don't have an excessive amount of plaid clothing or leather pants with zippers or any high heel boots." Matt added: "I never had a real weird haircut or anything like that. And never really owned a leather jacket that I considered to fit in as punk in any way."
Extracted from Page 63 of "Subculture the meaning of style" by Dick Hebdige:
The punk aesthetic, formulated in the widening gap between artist and audience, can be read as an attempt to expose glam rock’s implicit contradictions. For example, the ‘working classness’, the scruffiness and eaherniess of punk ran directly counter to the arrogance, elegance and verbosity of the glam rock superstars. However, this did not prevent the two forms from sharing a certain amount of common ground. Punk claimed to speak for the neglected constintuency of white lumpen youth, but it did so typically in the stilted language of glam and glitter rock - ‘rendering’ working classness metaphorically in chains and hollow cheeks, ‘dirty’ clothing (Stained jackets, tarty see-through blouses) and rough and ready diction.
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as anti-establishment, equality, freedom, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, direct action, free thought and non-conformity. These ideologies are usually expressed through music, literature and spoken word recordings, fashion or visual art. Some punks have participated in direct action, such as protests, boycotts, squatting, vandalism, or property destruction.
Punk fashion was originally an expression of nonconformity, as well as opposition to both mainstream culture and the status-quo. Punk fashion often displays aggression, rebellion, and individualism. Some punks wear clothing or have tattoos that express sociopolitical messages. Many punk wear second hand clothing partly as an anti-consumerist statement.
On religious issues, punk is mostly atheist or agnostic, but some punk bands have promoted religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, the Rastafari movement or Krishna.
Extracted from Pages 3-4 of "Punk Style" by Monica Sklar:
This often misunderstood subculture began in the 1970s, in major metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and the United States - a vital way to perform subcultural ideas that incorporated its own art, music, dress, and lifestyles. From its 1970s origins through its various present-day incarnations, punk is commonly rooted in those who are in some way disenfranchised from society. Self identified punks may be critical of mainstream art, politics, popular culture, consumerism, lifestyles, or sexual and social mores. Punk dress was rooted in a desire to be ironic and anti-hegemonic; it reinvented mainstream styles to critique society via bricolage and appropriation. Many elements of punk dress, such as combat boots, studded belts, and vibrantly dyed hair, have become iconic and stable in popular culture, yet symbolism and meanings have changed throughout time.
Extracted from Pages 6 of "Punk Style" by Monica Sklar:
... it is clear that the image of the mohawked, tartan-wearing, spikes and chains adorned, middle-finger-waving punk is not wholly accurate as a descriptor of all who identify as punk. Some of those interviewed for this book do, in fact, dress close to that iconic style as a form of artistic and identity expression. It is not that the look is fabrication or has ceased to exist; it is simply not as rigid a punk norm as outsiders may believe.
The iconic punk style, mostly rotted in 1970s British fashion, is still in existance, but it has developed into a form of caricature and few choose to utilise all of its most exaggerated elements simultaneously. This is particularly true among those punks who are not in a performance context. It certainly has lived on throughout the decades and been transformed to meet the expressive needs of punks around the globe, but its origins and the apex of its popularity were specific to a time and place- since then, other looks have represented other punk genres, times, and contexts.
One thing to consider is that there were always other kinds of punk dress besides "the iconic look", such as the 1970s New York look rooted in jeans, T-shirts, and tattered American street wear mixed with a few avant-garde elements. This look remains popular and influential, especially within the United States. Another consideration is that many subsequent movements within punk or adjacent to punk have influenced punk style or have been incorporated into the overall aesthetic. This is especially true of later generations of punks, such as mods and glams, who appropriated the stylistic influences of previous generations. Hence, today multiple modes of appearance would qualify as punk style. For example, contemporary punks sometimes dress in more subtle ways. Audra said: "I don't have an excessive amount of plaid clothing or leather pants with zippers or any high heel boots." Matt added: "I never had a real weird haircut or anything like that. And never really owned a leather jacket that I considered to fit in as punk in any way."
Extracted from Page 63 of "Subculture the meaning of style" by Dick Hebdige:
The punk aesthetic, formulated in the widening gap between artist and audience, can be read as an attempt to expose glam rock’s implicit contradictions. For example, the ‘working classness’, the scruffiness and eaherniess of punk ran directly counter to the arrogance, elegance and verbosity of the glam rock superstars. However, this did not prevent the two forms from sharing a certain amount of common ground. Punk claimed to speak for the neglected constintuency of white lumpen youth, but it did so typically in the stilted language of glam and glitter rock - ‘rendering’ working classness metaphorically in chains and hollow cheeks, ‘dirty’ clothing (Stained jackets, tarty see-through blouses) and rough and ready diction.
Punk thus represents a deliberately scrawled addendum to the ‘text’
of glam rock - an addendum designed to puncture glam rock’s extravagantly
ornate style. Punk’s guttersnipe rhetoric, its obsession with class and
relevance were expressly designed to undercut the intellectual posturing of the
previous generation of rock musicians. This reaction in its turn directed the
new wave towards reggae and the associated styles which the glam rock cult had
originally excluded. Reggae attracted those punks who wished to give tangible
form to their alienation.
I ended up making mindmaps for each subcultures based on the information extracted from these books and sites, and listed down various aspects (Such as the subculture's values, fashion elements, etc.) that I will be able to apply to my character designs.
Reference and Further Reading:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-05-29/news/0040280015_1_pomeroy-punk-community-punk-rockers
http://www.layouth.com/hey-punk-think-twice-before-you-stereotype-a-punk-rocker/
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Punk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_subculture
http://dyingscene.com/
Punk Style by Monica Sklar
Subculture the Meaning of style by Dick Hebdige
I ended up making mindmaps for each subcultures based on the information extracted from these books and sites, and listed down various aspects (Such as the subculture's values, fashion elements, etc.) that I will be able to apply to my character designs.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-05-29/news/0040280015_1_pomeroy-punk-community-punk-rockers
http://www.layouth.com/hey-punk-think-twice-before-you-stereotype-a-punk-rocker/
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Punk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_subculture
http://dyingscene.com/
Punk Style by Monica Sklar
Subculture the Meaning of style by Dick Hebdige
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