The Work of Jamie Reid Essay
‘God Save the Queen’
‘Anarchism is by and large defined as opposing authorization in the behavior of human dealingss. ’ this is really clearly one of the chief driven forces behind the work of Jamie Reid every bit good as the bum civilization of the epoch. In this piece I will look at likely the most iconic hood images. the screen of God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols which Reid created.
My initial reaction to the Jamie Reid piece is that I like the plangency of the colorss and the distinguishable loyal feel that it gives me. But I am repelled by the distant and de-faced image of the queen doing her individuality seem hidden and cryptic.
The image itself is of an English flag which has a black and white image of the queen in the center. It seems like a much younger image of the queen. the iconic image that is on sterling. It shows off the Crown gems and her expensive jewelry. However the eyes and oral cavity of the queen have been defaced by a black box. which looks as if it could hold been torn out and replaced with the words God Save the Queen. Sexual activity Pistols which appear to hold been cut out of newspaper besides. This gives the image a much more grunge expression. possibly associating the image to the hood stone manner period of the 70’s by Vivienne Westwood. The thought of utilizing newspaper gives it a more conversational feel than what would normally be associated with the higher category of the Queen. It about seems like Reid wants to do a jeer of the Queen and the loyal state of England through this piece of work.
The image has minimum colorss used. which are basic primary colorss. The ratio of the different colors is reasonably equal doing it look balanced and really blockish. The colorful flag contrasts to the tonic black and white image of the Queen. doing the image strong and symbolic. The flag appears like it is creased in some topographic points which are why I think it could be a existent fabric flag and non merely a picture or print. I think it could hold been done utilizing screen printing and cloth dyeing. I think that the image was created for a screen or logo for the set The Sex Pistols as a piece of promotional stuff.
The image for me is mostly associated with the hood stone period. Associated with the manner tendencies of the 70’s and the high influence of dad civilization at the clip. The work reminds me of Vivienne Westwood’s aggregation of the clip. the hood epoch of brotherhood knuckleboness and plaid and the turning Rebel behavior that was brushing the state at the clip is seen through the defacing of the queen. It reminds me of the Johnny Rotten manner and besides the forbiddance of the Sex Pistols album. ‘Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols’ which to me reflects the anarchist nature that the set created and this is shown through the manner the image has been created. Jamie Reid has tried to acquire this feeling through in his work.
Vivienne Westwood
Jamie Reid’s ‘God Save The Queen’ piece was created in 1977 as the screen for God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols. It has been described by Sean O’Hagan of The Observer as “the individual most iconic image of the hood era’ His art work really much defines the hood stone art universe. and his manner of the ransom note expression which was created with newspaper film editings of the recent headlines reflects a iconic manner of the 1970’s and 80’s which was besides reflected through the manner and media universe at the clip.
Jamie Reid was bought up in Croydon London and came from a really politically active household. During his clip analyzing at Croydon Art College he was involved in the pupil motion of ‘68 along with Malcolm McLaren. His influence from childhood was possibly his aspiration in life to go on the work of his household and turning up in an environment with strong thrust and sentiments would hold moulded him as a immature kid in order to make his difficult striking and emotion driven pieces.
His iconic ransom-note manner associated with the Sex Pistols was created when he was foremost working as a interior decorator for ‘Suburban Press’ a extremist and political magazine which he ran for five old ages. This imperativeness company worked on strong runs such as hawkish black groups and crouching groups. When Jamie foremost started at the print company. they had to publish with minimum equipment because of money constraints- which could hold helped in the influence to recycle old newspapers to make his iconic manner. The manner possibly reflects the strong sentiments he had on political relations at the clip which were shown through newspapers and besides by the influence of his old ages which he spent crouching. giving his expression a more high-strung and rubbishy feel because of the manner in which he has lived.
It was in 1976 that he got back together with Malcolm McLaren to work on his new music based undertaking The Sex Pistols. The image of the Queen in the piece was said by Reid to hold ‘came from a newspaper exposure of the queen’ the image was a exposure taken by Cecil Beaton portraying an iconic and dignified image of the Queen. Cecil Beaton’s picture taking was luxuriant but besides traditional. but conveying a dream like universe. This gave off the image of the upper category of the Queen. The original image was so changed by Reid. adding a safety-pin to the Queens’ olfactory organ and Hakenkreuz for eyes. about as an act of bum rebellion against the royal household like an anti-royalist rebellion posting. This image as expected caused an tumult and harmonizing to Reid ‘came really near to treason. ’ but I feel that this was the ground that work was so popular with the art universe and absolutely suited the Sex Pistols and the adolescent hood rebellion that they were making in civilization upon the state.
Reid has ever played a tight function in anti war protests and it is clear that political activism is the chief drive force behind his work. His art is frequently being portrayed world-wide in presentations and Marches. with people keeping streamers and jerseies with his iconic designs. ‘Even the Rebels who broke into the Houses of Parliament wore Jerseies with Jamie’s work portrayed’ says which shows how influencing and opinionated his work can be. It is frequently with witty and ethically motivated mottos and images. In a more modern-day piece Reid designed the front page of The Times Magazine in which he showed George Bush and Tony Blair with the slogan ‘Lies. Lies. Lies. ’ Showing the contention behind political motions. which shock the state but besides convey his art closer to the people by associating to people’s sentiments.
Jamie Reid was closely linked to the work of the Sex Pistols and was responsible for many of the other graphicss such as ‘Anarchy in the U. K. ’ ‘Pretty Vacant’ ‘Holidays in the sun’ and besides the album screen ‘Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols. ’ Using the same ransom note manner but integrating strong vibrant colors to complement the text and give a difficult striking image which reflected the Sex Pistols sound.
This Artwork was the No. 1 most voted for album screen of all clip. and is peculiarly iconic to the hood epoch for its mocking temper. Reid said. ‘I feel that it is really of import. and was frequently lost with the nostalgia of the period. It is the most adorable portion to me the temper. Almost like Johnny Rotten making a butter advert. ’ His micky-take attitude would be the influence and frequently the thing which would acquire him into problem but I feel it was what made his work so applaudable and influential to the people of the clip.
Reid’s more modern-day work continues his strong sentiments but associated with the issues of the twenty-first century. in one of his more recent plants he uses an image of George Bush and Tony Blair with the slogan ‘Lies. Lies. Lies’ in a run against the war in Iraq. His work continues in the same manner. but he experiments with new mediums. such as slate in his new exhibition ‘slated’ in which he produces pictures onto a slate background giving a edgier feel to his work. He has continued with coactions with the music industry till the present twenty-four hours making screens for Boy George. Afrocelt sound system and besides planing the inside for a recording studio. The Afrocelt sound system work I feel is much more nostalgic than his earlier work. utilizing brighter colorss and holding a nexus to a hippy manner more than his iconic hood manner antecedently.
To reason it seems to me that every hood signifier of artworks has some nexus to Jamie Reid’s work. doing his work extremely influential. I feel though that this hood period was simply the perfect chance for him to acquire his utmost cultural protest work into the public oculus. His work continues to hold the strong sentiments and the same subjects but changed to go suited to the modern twenty-four hours activism. Reid will go on to be the most iconic militant creative person of the century.
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