The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture

Teegan Oshins
Art Market Studies

About this Item

Title
The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture
Contributor Names
Oshins, Teegan (Author)
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Art Market Studies (Degree granting institution)
Schwartz, Alexandra (Thesis advisor)
Date
2024
Degree Information
M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2024
Department: Art Market Studies
Advisor: Alexandra Schwartz
Committee members: Natasha Degen; Brooke Carlson
Abstract
This thesis provides an overview of the 1970s British Punk movement's inception to determine whether the subculture fell victim to capitalization and consumerism. By examining Jamie Reid (1947-2023), Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022), and Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010), the story of the famed band the Sex Pistols is told through its visual arts and marketing tactics. Each figure's legacy provides this thesis with the intricacies of Punk history and its transition into a subculture plagued by consumerism.
Chapter 1 focuses on Jamie Reid and the Sex Pistols. Particularly, the chapter tells the story of Reid's art and how it began the visual aesthetics of the British Punk movement. This chapter introduces the Sex Pistols as a pivotal symbol of the subculture and Malcolm McLaren as the band's creator.
Chapter 2 provides the story of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and how her store in 1970s London began the fashions of the Punk movement. It provides historical analysis of Westwood's brand and her relationship with McLaren.
Chapter 3 is an evaluation of all three figures' involvement in the Punk movement. Their post-Punk careers are used to determine whether each individual became subject to consumerism and capitalism. The chapter places value on each figure's influence and their actions after the dismantling of the Sex Pistols.
Subject
Art--History
Music--History and criticism
History
Social structure
Keyword
Reid, Jamie
Mclaren, Malcolm
Punk movement
Sex Pistols (musical group)
Subculture
Westwood, Vivienne, 1941-2022
Rights
In Copyright
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Identifier
FIT Repository ID: etd_001018
URN/ISBN: 9798302882387
Related Materials
Also available from ProQuest
Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 86-08.
Type
Text
Thesis
Language
English
Publisher
Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,

Citation

Oshins, T. (2024). The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/600004
Oshins, Teegan. The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture. 2024. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/600004
Oshins, Teegan. "The Rise and Fall of British Punk: How Capitalism Plagued a Subversive Subculture." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2024. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/600004