Rebellion is Fun

Subversiveness can connect with the audience that is interested or identifies itself as being subversive. This works in society as a whole as well as in the creative world. 

I think the idea of subversive work, being subversive and subversiveness, is an attractive one. I think this is the case on a few levels. For example, the idea of the rebel is and had been an attractive idea to some, the idea of being one as well as the typical swoon after the kid in his leather jacket that undermines the authority of the teacher. 

John Travolta as Danny in Grease (Pinterest)

Wow that rebellion looks fun!

Conformity is a long way from subversion. or is it? looking at the character of the rebel, he has chosen to rebel against a certain system only to be part of another. Youth sub cultures are a good example. These sort of cultures usually stem from teenage years where the act of rebellion is generally accepted as a part of growing up. It may upset those closest to them but generally speaking their behaviour isn't really subversive.

Youth subcultures, historically formed due to things that where happening is society at that time. For example the Mods appeared after World War II, this was becoming a prosperous time, with better job prospects. This was giving them more money to spend and because of the end of national service, more time to do what they wanted with it. Mods believed in quality over quantity when it came down to their clothes and spend a good deal of money on them, something that would have been subversive for their parents generation who has to rely on rations and make do and mend. (Weight, 2013).

This isn't the best example of youth subculture's subversiveness but it demonstrates different ways people can perceive themselves as being subversive, here it was to their parents generation and their established system. Though their once individual need for rebellion, came the combined response of the Mod subculture. What was subversive to their parents was no longer subversive within their culture.

PUNK 

I am going to briefly look at the Punk subculture as for me, the ideologies, at least at the begging of the movement, are a strong example of how subversion can develop creativity. 

Punk girl, subverting through creative fashion. Anarchy UK 

-Sklar (2013, p.38).

Punk was a subversive movement that undermined the power in place and it's socio/political beliefs. Much like hip hop and graffiti it came from displaced communities developing a creative way of kicking back at the system. It came from working class angst and frustrations towards economic inequality. It was anti- establishment, chaotic and destructive. Many creative outputs came from this movement, most notably music and fashion but also punk literature though mediums such as zines, poetry, spoken word as well as bringing individuals together to think of creative ways fighting the system. They wanted to shock and to fuck with people. 

There have been many deviations from the social norm in all areas of creativity, through music, film, art and so on. Some in the form of subcultures who change all these formats in one way or another, such as the beginnings of Punk that took over all forms of creativity, screaming HERE IS SOMETHING NEW, THIS IS REBELLION! Now it has has become accepted and largely mainstream. But again, there are still those who would view punk music to be subversive. Bellow is an example of punk's fashion influence on mainstream, high-street clothing brands. Very D.I.Y. Punk has sold out. It has been appropriated by the consumer culture and demonstrates that subversion has a shelf life. 

Quick search on ASOS for "Punk"

Although the above isn't directly an aid for creativity and is more of an appropriation, subversion, in this more attractive way, can be used as a tool for creativity whist thinking of a particular audience. For example, the practitioner may find that he is attracted to this culture because of its subversive nature and may want to produce work that would appeal to those within it. 

In the next post I will explore this further and will be looking at work from creative practitioners. 

Bibliography

Book

Sklar, M. (2013). Punk Style. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 

Weight, R. (2013). Mod!: A Very British Style. London: The Bodley Head