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‘Approving or Disapproving’

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This Punk Trend has been truly captivating for me as it allowed me to explore my personal freedom within the context of this brief. During my study of the punk era and the subsequent ripples in culture it created I found a plethora of interesting niche’s I could have pursued. However the most striking of all the methods used to express individualism under an indifferent regime that did not care for them was the tabooed and frowned upon act of tattooing. This art form allowed people to emblazon their own skin with messages or symbols that truly represented their own ideals. The nature of permanently ‘scarring’ one’s body was outright shocking and held the exact tone that the people of punk needed.

 

When deciding on which processes to implement and which materials to use I chose to focus on the fundamentals of punk. The techniques I experimented with included mono-printing, Photoshop guided design, stitching, pyrography and modern Western tattooing. As for my selection of materials I fixated mainly on leather due to challenge of creating captivating pieces without the use of typical augmentation such as studs which are featured throughout punk fashion. Another reason for placing leather in the forefront of my project was so that I could parallel the skin canvases used for tattoos. Additionally, whilst practicing pyrography I observed a clear likeness to scarification (an extreme form of body modification).

During my time producing these intricate high quality designs with the influence of the founders behind this progressive art form I’ve expanded my respect for the timeless, masterful and unforgiving nature of this defiant expressionism.