Event overview
Tom Helyar-Cardwell The battle jacket as a material document of resistance
A battle jacket is a customised garment worn in heavy metal subcultures that features decorative patches, band insignia, studs and other embellishments. Battle jackets are significant in the expression of subcultural identity for those that wear them, and constitute a global phenomenon dating back at least to the 1970s.
The work of subcultural theorists such as Hebdige (1979, 1988), Cohen (1972) and Muggleton (2000) demonstrates the use of dress as a material and visual means of communicating subcultural values in opposition to mainstream ideological and political agendas.
Alongside punk, heavy metal music and subculture has sought to appear offensive to a perceived social majority, and to actively court controversy (Kahn-Harris 2006).
The battle jacket as a garment and cultural artefact can be read as a physical and visual codification of this subcultural resistance. Personally created and customised by the wearer, the jacket contains a carefully chosen set of affiliations that communicate their identity to others within the subculture as well as their opposition to those outside it. The DIY approach opposes the mass production and consumption cycles of the fashion industry.
As the metal music scene evolves and diversifies, so does the exact visual order of the customisation of jackets.
My research comprises theoretical and creative practice, using painting to describe and analyse specific battle jackets. Primary research including interviews will be used to consider the meanings of the jackets as viewed by participants in the subculture.
Dates & times
Date | Time | Add to calendar |
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30 Apr 2014 | 5:00pm - 7:00pm |
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