As a follow up to my last post, I want to talk about a certain shirt graphic that came out recently. I defined graphic design in that post, loosely, as a form of communication of an idea, concept, or brand. The communication part of the definition is key, and something I try and calculate in most projects I do. As a designer you have to be very careful what and how you present your design, for the meaning is by and far purely subjective. You try and focus your communication so that misinterpretation is unlikely.
That said, aNYthing recently put out a shirt in their last run that displays three swatzikas shown prominently on it. You can see the shirt here. I was and still am quite shocked about this graphic. Now, I will say I have no idea who A-ron, the owner of aNYthing, or the designer (if i could call him that) of the shirt had in mind with the design, and not knowing this I am going to have to make a couple of assumptions about they could have possibly meant.
Now from just looking at the shirt called Dance w. the Devil, I cannot find any correlation between the Goathead graphic and swastikas. For this part, I will assume that they had good intentions, and are trying to make some sort of statement. What that statement is I do not know. Could they be trying to pull attention to something in particular by putting those swastikas on the shirt? Again, I do not know, and my ability to find a tangent says to me the communication of the shirt isn't working, resulting in a poor design.
A swastika is obviously not something that is perceived lightly. The stigma of the Holocaust still plagues a large chunk of the world representing hatred and bigotry. I would like to assume that this is not a display of such feelings from aNYthing, but I can not find any other way of reading it. If they did mean to display this, this takes the shirt into a whole other area of discussion. I have heard one person say they are going for 'shock value' with the design. Now, why would you need to put swastikas on a shirt for shock value? What is that really saying? We are the inconsiderate and are supporting such viewpoints by placing the swastika a total of three times on our shirt? Or, we simply have nothing new to do, so we are stooping so low as to dredge out an internationally known symbol of hatred. I just cannot find a justifiable reason for putting this out there.
I realize that the swastika is the worlds oldest symbol and one of peace, where the Nazi party reversed and manipulated it's meaning. Though whatever it's history, the symbol has a new current connotation of hate. People do not relate peace with that symbol, and as designer, I would never want to use something so ignorant in a design. Now I have brought this up with a few people a couple times, and after seeing it at HUF here in San Francisco, I had to ask, "how can you carry that shirt?" One employee there in return asked me "Why you buggin'?" So now let me explain why I am 'buggin.'
First, I don't like the shirt, which I explained why in my previous post. I don't think the design is very good, and I am not a fan of aNYthing's clothing. That is merely a matter of opinion, and as such I will never wear that shirt nor anything aNYthing (funny, I know) makes. Second, I am troubled by the fact that someone that holds the same title I do would make such a shirt and I feel it necessary to create some distinction between myself and them. For, third, contributing to the ignorance of people is not something I ever want to do. Ignorance is rampant enough in society without pathetic attempts at a clothing label to make profit. By merely exploiting the culture and youth that is impressionable enough to buy these things without any thought to what it means is a shameful act. The people that shop at HUF range in age, but a large portion are teenagers. I can speak from experience, I was highly impressionable at that age and had little idea of what my own beliefs and views were on things, rather following by example of people I looked up to. Now, for sneaker culture to exploit these teens like that is horrible act. Sneakers should not cost $300 USD nor a hoodie $180. That is exploitation, taking advantage of a kid who merely wants to be unique or cool. There is absolutely no reason, other than profit, to charge those prices, and taking that money from kids is tactless. For that as a whole, I look shamefully at sneaker culture and how they directly market themselves so as these kids will want and covet their over-priced under-quality/designed products.
The final point, and the one that I find most disturbing, is the only place I have seen some sort of comment made against this shirt is DontBelieveTheHypebeast.com. DBTHB (for short) is a spoof site. They poke fun at sneaker culture trends and specific products (I admit I agree with almost everything they say and they are prety funny at times), and such is not the place to find this form of commentary on this shirt. The fact that no legitimatized pro-sneaker culture site has said anything against this shirt is apalling and shows to me the attempt to merely exploit this market, or a complete lack in taste and morals.
I personally am offended by this shirt and it does nothing to help my outlook on this scene as a whole. I just hope the consumers who purchase these products realize what it is they are buying and it's further implications, and that the owners and so-called-designers face some repercussion for their actions. These types of items make me ashamed to know anybody within the sneaker scene.
J-Buggin out.
That said, aNYthing recently put out a shirt in their last run that displays three swatzikas shown prominently on it. You can see the shirt here. I was and still am quite shocked about this graphic. Now, I will say I have no idea who A-ron, the owner of aNYthing, or the designer (if i could call him that) of the shirt had in mind with the design, and not knowing this I am going to have to make a couple of assumptions about they could have possibly meant.
Now from just looking at the shirt called Dance w. the Devil, I cannot find any correlation between the Goathead graphic and swastikas. For this part, I will assume that they had good intentions, and are trying to make some sort of statement. What that statement is I do not know. Could they be trying to pull attention to something in particular by putting those swastikas on the shirt? Again, I do not know, and my ability to find a tangent says to me the communication of the shirt isn't working, resulting in a poor design.
A swastika is obviously not something that is perceived lightly. The stigma of the Holocaust still plagues a large chunk of the world representing hatred and bigotry. I would like to assume that this is not a display of such feelings from aNYthing, but I can not find any other way of reading it. If they did mean to display this, this takes the shirt into a whole other area of discussion. I have heard one person say they are going for 'shock value' with the design. Now, why would you need to put swastikas on a shirt for shock value? What is that really saying? We are the inconsiderate and are supporting such viewpoints by placing the swastika a total of three times on our shirt? Or, we simply have nothing new to do, so we are stooping so low as to dredge out an internationally known symbol of hatred. I just cannot find a justifiable reason for putting this out there.
I realize that the swastika is the worlds oldest symbol and one of peace, where the Nazi party reversed and manipulated it's meaning. Though whatever it's history, the symbol has a new current connotation of hate. People do not relate peace with that symbol, and as designer, I would never want to use something so ignorant in a design. Now I have brought this up with a few people a couple times, and after seeing it at HUF here in San Francisco, I had to ask, "how can you carry that shirt?" One employee there in return asked me "Why you buggin'?" So now let me explain why I am 'buggin.'
First, I don't like the shirt, which I explained why in my previous post. I don't think the design is very good, and I am not a fan of aNYthing's clothing. That is merely a matter of opinion, and as such I will never wear that shirt nor anything aNYthing (funny, I know) makes. Second, I am troubled by the fact that someone that holds the same title I do would make such a shirt and I feel it necessary to create some distinction between myself and them. For, third, contributing to the ignorance of people is not something I ever want to do. Ignorance is rampant enough in society without pathetic attempts at a clothing label to make profit. By merely exploiting the culture and youth that is impressionable enough to buy these things without any thought to what it means is a shameful act. The people that shop at HUF range in age, but a large portion are teenagers. I can speak from experience, I was highly impressionable at that age and had little idea of what my own beliefs and views were on things, rather following by example of people I looked up to. Now, for sneaker culture to exploit these teens like that is horrible act. Sneakers should not cost $300 USD nor a hoodie $180. That is exploitation, taking advantage of a kid who merely wants to be unique or cool. There is absolutely no reason, other than profit, to charge those prices, and taking that money from kids is tactless. For that as a whole, I look shamefully at sneaker culture and how they directly market themselves so as these kids will want and covet their over-priced under-quality/designed products.
The final point, and the one that I find most disturbing, is the only place I have seen some sort of comment made against this shirt is DontBelieveTheHypebeast.com. DBTHB (for short) is a spoof site. They poke fun at sneaker culture trends and specific products (I admit I agree with almost everything they say and they are prety funny at times), and such is not the place to find this form of commentary on this shirt. The fact that no legitimatized pro-sneaker culture site has said anything against this shirt is apalling and shows to me the attempt to merely exploit this market, or a complete lack in taste and morals.
I personally am offended by this shirt and it does nothing to help my outlook on this scene as a whole. I just hope the consumers who purchase these products realize what it is they are buying and it's further implications, and that the owners and so-called-designers face some repercussion for their actions. These types of items make me ashamed to know anybody within the sneaker scene.
J-Buggin out.
posted by Jonathan Burkett at
23:20
