Exercise: Using Reference
Using Reference
06th July 2017
For This exercise I have been asked to reference as much as I can find on the 1950's which is an interesting exercise, and pout the information into categories. There are 8 Categories all together and you find out what they are as you read along.
Before I got started I had a look at other student work and how they had approached this exercise, Some of them had just done sketchbook approach and some straight blogged there findings so I decided that I would my usual research for my sketchbook and write about each category in my blog. Sketchbook Research
For each category I did some research as I don't know much about the 1950's so I thought it was a good ideas to read up on the era. Below you see the pages I have dedicated to each category:
For this researched I considered the typography I used and downloaded a fifties type that's called Becker Black TTF type I also used a type called Cherry Cream Soda for the brief explanation that I've put in my research pages.
1950's Brief History
'America at this moment stands at the summit of the world' - Winston Churchill
The United States was the world strongest military in power in the 1950's. Its Economy was booming, New Cars, Suburban House and other goods were available to the people. The 1950's were also an era of great conflict the Nascent Civil Rights Movement and The Crusade against Communism, but it wasn't all bad...
People and Costume
People - There were many famous/influential people in the 1950's for example: Marilyn Monroe who's real name was Norma Jeane Martenson or Baker she was born in Los Angeles on the 06th January 1926, she was an actress, she was married to the baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. She also was a Fashion Icon and Sex Symbol and taught woman to love there themselves and their bodies.
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| Image from Google |
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on the 01st August 1935 he was a famous Singer and actor, and often referred to as 'The King of Rock and Roll', His music career started in 1954. I would say that Elvis Presley was also a Fashion Icon back then especially whilst rocking his hair on stage and the suits he wore! People loved his music and him back then and they still do to this day.
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| Image from Google |
James Dean was born Indiana on the 02 February 1931 he was a famous actor who achieved Cult-Figure status after just three films. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement. I would say he was a Fashion I con and Sexy symbol for the world.
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| Image from Google |
Martin Luther King Jr was born in Memphis on the 15th January 1929 he organised and led marches for Black Rights to Vote, Desegregation, Labour Rights and other rights, he went down in history changing the future for black Men, Woman and Children he was a very inspirational man to people all over the world and I would say he still is.
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| Image from Google |
Queen Elizabeth 11 born in London on the 21st April 1926 she is the Queen of England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. She also holds a variety of other positions such as Head of Common Wealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Duke of Normandy, Lord of Mann and Paramount of Fiji. Many people find her an inspiration.
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| Image from Google |
All information of the above was found on Fiftiesweb.com
Fashion - During WWII woman began gaining independence because their men were away, they working in factories and took office jobs, clothing was restricted throughout the 1950's and just after the war everything was regulated, this resulted in a slim, straight silhouette fashion. Woman wore comfortable clothing like suits and shirt dresses and began wearing pants.
The men returned home from war, woman also returned back to the home as wives, mother/homemakers, There was a migration to the newly-built suburbs where life was supposed to be the 'Picture Perfect' and 'Traditional'. The man was the bread winner, the woman feminine 'Happy Housewife'. Woman began spending a lot of their husbands money on getting dressed, their appearance was linked to their husbands success.
The look of the 1950's was mature, glamorous, and very put-together. Dresses, skirts and undergarments were constricting. Woman were expected to be impeccably dressed and groomed in public or when their spouse was home. The fabrics were often luxurious, especially the evening wear. Velvet, tulle, silk and satin were the popular choices. Cotton and wool were often used for day wear.
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07th July 2017
Interior & Architecture
The post war brought massive changes in the 1950's home, open planned living room was introduced, and the fitted kitchen with brand new appliances was the housewife's domain.The house's were smaller compared to the pre-war house's so the furniture had to be either stacked or light enough to be moved about, the trolleys, sofa beds, and ironing boards were all 1950 inventions.
In the 1950's there were a couple of looks to choose from The American Diner look with bubble-gum colour schemes, Neon and Kitsch scheme, or the designer look with Furniture and Textiles which have both become classic designs even in today's fashionable schemes. New materials became available for e.g. PVC, Formica, fibreglass, rubber, melamine, aluminium, vinyl, and plastics and abstract, geometric patterns and animal prints also became popular.
Art - Graphic Design & Typography
In the 1950's Pop Art came around and changed American culture in a profound way and its still being produced till this day. Pop Art began as a rebellious shift and moved away from abstract expressionism. Pop art started with the New York artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg, all of whom drew on popular imagery and were actually part of an international phenomenon.
The expression 'American Kitsch' was born, 'Kitsch' is a German word and it means 'in bad taste' and eventually 'American Kitsch' was born and this is how we label 1950's Art today.
Helvetica script typeface, loud and gaudy logos, and dramatic space-age curves were the hallmarks of American kitsch. Big box advertising, on the other hand, was characterised by geometric layouts and sans serif fonts, which all promised you the American Dream if you were to just buy their products. Pop art reflected the leisurely activities of the time, when people enjoyed watching television and reading magazines and comics. The 50s are often referred to as a time of innocence, and this era of innocence continues to inspire a kitschy nostalgia within many graphic designers to this day
'I'm the one who gave steroids to Pop Art' - James Rosenquist
11th July 2017
Advertising
Advertising during the 1950's went back to traditional family values, it portrayed positive futuristic of the idealised modern family—mother, father, son and daughter—enjoying the comforts of their new home, the convenience of their automobile and added leisure time together. Children were targeted for the first time, as advertising tapped their new found affluence. Phonographs, records, radios, magazines, clothing and soft drinks, among other products, found a receptive teen audience.
Advertising also portrayed society's upward mobility and prosperity, its technological superiority and its renewed optimism. For example, the necessity of becoming a two-car family was heavily promoted throughout the 1950s. By the mid-1950s, automobiles surpassed packaged goods and cigarettes as the most heavily advertised products.
13th July 2017
Transport
1950s cars were some of the most classic, powerful and unsafe cars ever driven. The modern designs and acceleration abilities were getting more and more amazing every year. If you ask someone who loves classic cars what their favourite car is, 8 times out of 10 they’ll say ’57 Chevy, and I agree because this is my favourite care of the 1950's.
The auto industry was starting to experiment with a new concept called a “sports car.” By the end of the 50s, Americans fell in love with the sports car. After all, the 50s gave birth to the Corvette.
In the 50s and 60s cars such as the Mini and the Ford Cortina brought cheap motoring to the masses. By today's standards they were crude and uncomfortable, but for many they were the answer to a prayer. The difference between family life with a car and without was huge. Car ownership made possible all sorts of day trips that would have taken forever by public transport.
Traditional forms of transport such as trains and buses were abandoned in favour of private cars. In the sixties, Dr Beeching was called in to rationalise the railways and he closed many branch lines. This rationalisation is often viewed in a negative way today. However, the simple fact of the time was that the trains were not being used.
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| Chevrolet |
15th July 2017
TV & Film
Hollywood was obviously fearful of television's dawning in the early 1950s. Indeed, the studios forbade their movies and stars from appearing on the small screen at all. Fearful of losing audiences to the screens in their living rooms, Hollywood enticed film goers with expensive epics, gimmicky 3D releases, stereo sound, enhanced colour technology and widescreen formats such as CinemaScope, VistaVision and Panavision.
All of the major Hollywood studios fought television with what they called "theatre television": closed-circuit screenings of TV programs in movie theatres. Since the Big Five studios owned extensive theatre chains, this strategy was easily implemented. The Theatre Television Network, founded in 1951, aired shows in participating theatres where audiences were provided with costlier programs incorporating political news coverage, prize-fights, NCAA games, etc. Although over 100 U.S. theatres had installed theatre television by 1952, the phenomenon faded shortly thereafter.
Inevitably, the studios came to see that TV wasn't going away and that collaboration could be mutually beneficial. With a steep decline in weekly theatre attendance, studios were forced to find creative ways to make money from television - converted Hollywood studios were beginning to produce more hours of film for TV than for feature films. [In mid-decade, the average film budget was less than one million dollars.]
16th July 2017
Surface Pattern
1950s fashion fabrics were available in nearly every type and colour that ready-to-wear came in. As trends changed, new fabrics in new colours were offered to the masses in general stores and shopping catalogues. Sewing patterns, too.
With the research and production of synthetic fabrics exploding in the 1950s, the sheer number of textile options was overwhelming. Natural fibres (cotton, wool, linen) were mixed with new synthetics to create hybrid blends that dried faster, needed less laundering and repelled stains. Pure synthetics were woven into textures that looked like natural fibres yet had the benefits (and drawbacks) of synthetics. Both natural and synthetic textiles found new uses in the 1950s. Denim, for example, had only been used for work wear but now was sporty and casual enough for most leisure clothing. Corduroy was favoured by men, but now women used it for winter skirts and dresses. There were less rules about what type of fabric could only be used for certain clothing items.
There are some classic prints that are part of the 1950s.
Polka Dots: Polka dots were common in the 1920s through the 1960s. Small and large, the 1950s, for the most part, preferred large dot prints.
Plaid: In the 1950s, plaid was the most popular print for both women and men. Small plaids, large plaids and plaids in any colour for spring and winter were made into every type of garment. House dresses and afternoon dresses, skirts, pants and tops brought a casualness to the look.
So above I have given the history of each category and the role they played within the 1950's so now I will write about whether the 1950 reflect into today's Contemporary Art, Design or Culture.
'Are there reflections of the 1950's in any areas of Contemporary Art, Design or Culture?..give examples.'
There are many thing that reflect the 1950's around us today whether its fashion, patterns, or inspiration for a type of design.
I came across Victoria Beckham's new fashion designed skirt on Instagram the other day and I feel that it reflects some influence from the 1950's the colours she uses in her design as well as the kind of shapes are used and the pleats that are used in the skirt. See picture below.
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| Victoria Beckham Instagram |
The colours used in these items remind me of the colours used in the 1950's pattern, they are colourful, bright and they seem to clash against one another. The shapes that are used remind me of the 1950's on the two items they have gone for the nature look foe example Leaves, flowers and animals that you can spot in the design.
In summary the 1950's are still greatly influencing all kinds of designs and fashion today and will be continued throughout the on coming years.
My final piece of work was too:
'Make an illustration of someone sitting in a chair surrounded by typical artefact's to give a teenager an idea of the 1950's'
Above is my illustration I decided that I wanted to place her in a miss-matched room surrounded by items. The floor was inspired by the 1950's kitchen the classic black and white tiles. The old telephone with the circle dial coloured in a pink sat on a 1950's inspired table. I came across a neon clock which caught my eye so I tried to incorporate that onto the wall. I decided to go with the classic box TV which the outside of it is wooden, and then the 1950s baby blue fridge in the back ground.
The girl I drew has an 1950s hair style and with it I came across an outfit that a model was wearing the high wasted grey skirt with a fitted red top and finished with white stilettoes. I think I captured the items that were around in the 1950 and I think that if a teenager were to look at this it would give them a brief idea of how it was.
The girl I drew has an 1950s hair style and with it I came across an outfit that a model was wearing the high wasted grey skirt with a fitted red top and finished with white stilettoes. I think I captured the items that were around in the 1950 and I think that if a teenager were to look at this it would give them a brief idea of how it was.
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