1960s Advertisements and visual arts
IMAGINARIUM : An Alternate History of Art
Welcome to Imaginarium: an alternate history of art. A podcast where we delve in to the most obscure parts of art history. Hello dear listeners, I’m your host Nadjah, and in this podcast, we try to shed light on less studied parts of the history of art and visual culture.
Today’s episode is a very very special one because it is the finale of the first season of Imaginarium ! Before we even start talking about today’s subject, I just want to talk a bit about Imaginarium’s future. First of all…. I deeply want to thank everyone who listened to the podcast, supported me on patreon, or engaged with the podcast on social media and helped promote it, all of it helps so much more than you think, and im always so thankful and grateful for everyone who cares about this little corner of art history that I built, and I hope we can continue to share and talk about art history and its lesser known genres, movements, artworks and artists! After this episode, I will take a break for a few months, before the next step of imaginarium starts again, which will be a very special mini-season that will be dedicated to one specific subject, so it will be a fun occasion to do a very in-depth dive of a particular topic, and I hope you will enjoy that mini-season, I know I have been really enjoying working on it, and I hope it will be equally as fun for you, my lovelies, to listen to ! During my break, I will be posting some extra material on the patreon, as well as some bonus content, so if you want to take a look, please feel free to do so.
In the meantime, we’ll turn the calendar all the way back to the 1960s, and get into today’s episode, in which we’re going to talk about fashion, beauty, consumerism, capitalism and communism, and the world of visual arts during the 1960s, and the way all of this is tied together.
let’s begin, my darlings.
First of all, when we think about the visual arts made through the 1960s, what’s important to remember is the historical context in which they were made. The 1960s were an odd historical period. I mean, when you think about it, all historical periods have their own oddities and particularities and quirks. What is special about the 1960s, though, is its visibly transitional quality. Between the more traditional first half of the century and the seemingly more modern second half of the 20th century. Of course, progress is not linear, and history is never as simple as it might seem at first glance, and when you look closer, it’s always more complex and intricate and weirder than you might think, but i think we can definitely see a shift that happens in that specific decade, in several spheres of culture at the same time.
But the 1960s, as I said, are still very much a transitional period, a decade of rapid change and progress in a lot of ways, with the sexual liberation, civil rights, more freedom in general for women, and … i feel like i have to asterisk this, even though this is in no way a feminism course, i’m an art historian and there are definitely more knowledgeable people on this subject. But it is important for me to precise that while it was definitely progress in a lot of ways, in the end, there is still so much that is left to be done, still today, for real gender equality and general equity and social justice, and there is also intersectionality to consider, when it comes to feminism, the real liberation will be that of all women, and not simply white women. Intersectional ity is a very important tenet of social justice, it’s a way to truly understand how each of us experience privilege in some ways and also oppression, and acknowledge the ways racism, ableism and etc can play a part in every single part of our lives, and add to simple misogyny, and understand that white women may experience sexism, but will not experience it the same way a woman of color might, for example, and can still and oftentimes will uphold white privilege and white supremacy. If you are a white woman, are you working to unravel sexism against all women, or only women who look like you, or want to live the way your deem it acceptable?
A big part of the 1960s, politically, especially in the beginning, was a remnant of the 1950s : the cold war, and all that it entailed. I’m sure you all have an idea of what the cold war is, but just so we are on the same page when it comes to it, it refers to the open conflict between the united states and the soviet union, which started from the end of the second world war until roughly the first half of the 1960s, there was the nuclear bombs, the spies, the race to space, as well as the ideological conflict between capitalism and communism. So there was a general feeling of uneasiness while those two superpower nations were waging war covertly and yet very overtly, and this deeply influenced the art, fashion and culture of the era.
When it comes to the race to space, for example, it has a definite influence on visual design and aesthetic of the early years of the 1960s with what we now know as retro-futurism. Of course, back then, it was not retro, nay, it was the most current and up-to-date fashion trend especially with the race to the space that was going on between the USSR and the USA which was simply a topic that was very much of the time. The dresses got metallic and sparkly, and the aesthetic got futuristic. It was the era of Star Trek and Barbarella and space inspired outfits, with helmets, and adorned in silver and a very idealized and hopeful vision of the future and of the space age.
This rise of the conflict between capitalism and communism, made for a rise of the importance of capitalism, especially in the usa, where the government was pushing their anti communist and socialist propaganda, and were creating a feeling that if you were not explicitly pro-capitalism and anti-communist, well you were a suspicious person. And thus, it is possible to see that the political climate made it so that consumption and consumerism were treated as a way to demonstrate patriotism. Also no offense but american patriotism is so weird and dangerous… anyway not to go on that tangent, i mean the fbi agent who surveils me probably is tired of this, and im not like even american so you know, do with this what you will. Nonetheless, there were definitely a lot of commentary on consumerism, especially within the art movement of Pop Art, which was very prevalent during the 1960s, and used the iconography of mass media and consumerist capitalism and using elements of pop culture such as advertisements, comic books, movies, as well as mundane objects from daily life to images of pop stars. I just want to be sure that everyone knows what kind of art is Pop-Art, just in case you don’t know the art movement, but I am sure that you know those colorful Marilyn Monroe Andy Warhol portraits. This is what pop art is.
In pop art, there are elements of the kitsch, of the mundane, and yet they make it into something more vibrant and special. It’s this use of these familiar elements and objects of the daily thatmake it a more accessible art genre to the general public, to the people who do not necessarily have the knowledge or understanding of artistic iconography. And so, by using popular artistic and visual language, pop art becomes a form of art that is for everyone. The art becomes the same as the products of capitalism : mass-produced, colorful, and popular. This is also something that is seen times and times again when it comes to art. Popular art or art that is consider « low-art » versus the world of « high-art » and fine-art is usually considered to be « better » in terms of intrinsic value. And like I have talked about this in an article I wrote on the art canon, which is that the intrinsic existence of the art canon and the art world is an elitist thing in itself.
This art movement critiques consumerism while also being a part of it somehow. Pop art was influenced by advertisement, and pop art then subsequently influenced the design of advertisements. It was a sort of protest against what was considered the elitist and kind of stuffy world of fine arts. As I think I might have mentioned this earlier, but this act of going against the establishment and the institution is often times repeated throughout art history, and even if it doesn’t always have a very political and pointed dimension, it is always a witness to the very disruptive dimension of art. It can be possible to see this in the romantics against the movement of classicism, or the movement of arts and crafts. It’s the constant pendulum of art, fashion, and then life. So often, there will be a direct and opposite reactionary response to whatever is mainstream, trendy or accepted as the norm, and the cycle will simply keep on going on and on.
Pop Art is one of the elements that intersects visual arts, graphic design, but also fashion and mass-media. These artworks used the very visual tropes of advertising and popular culture, and the space that exists between authenticity and branding, and most importantly, capitalism. Pop art is one of the few movements of fine art that really knew a commercial success outside of the usual confines of the art world, with the more general public, because of the use of an iconography that was familiar and easy to comprehend. Its presence in mass-market magazines and its aesthetic being often co-opted by advertisements cementing its place in the general consciousness, as well as its uses in popular objects like Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans on a dress, blending the boundaries between high art and low art.
When it comes to the fashion, the 1960s were very out there, and it personally is one of my favorite eras of vintage fashion, with the rapidly changing times, and the new freedom when it came to fashion, dresses and skirts got shorter, the colors got brighter, there was a lot more experimentation and fun looks. The silhouettes got simpler, a bit reminiscent of the 1920s garçonne silhouette, that is very streamlined and with a very simple cut, that puts the emphasis on comfort and practicality. That era is one that really cements the place of the Youth in society and in the general consciousness. There was a new youth culture in a way that there hasn’t really ever been before and , thus, a new audience that could be advertised to. From fashion and lifestyle magazines, there was a whole new market for teenagers to consume.
When it comes to fashion trends, the 1960s start by the still very feminine and ladylike style that was still very much a continuity of the 1950s. Even though, we can retroactively assign very arbitrarily trends in hindsight, the developments of trends, movements, in fashion, in art and in anything within culture really, is way less clear cut than we tend to present it as, trends and styles overlap, sometimes people will not move with the times and sometimes people will be too avant-garde. So, as i said the beginning of the 1960s, we have this very ladylike and feminine style, of the likes of Jackie O. and Audrey Hepburn. A style that was a bit more form fitting and prim, and yet still very colorful. Jackie Kennedy, to this day, is known for that very iconic pink suit, and I think that that particular outfit still holds a very prominent place in the collective imaginary when it comes to fashion of that period. This is followed by the mod look, with its mini skirts, flat shoes, its pastel and vibrant color palette and the flat silhouette that is very reminiscent of the 1920s. From 1967 and onwards, though, there is a tendency to go toward earthier tones in line with the hippie style that was starting to become trendy, with more subdued tones, but still very much an extravagant style. With full length skirts and dresses, kaftans, and a lot of trends that have …vaguely « oriental » aesthetics. Orientalism strikes once again ! with the spiritualism and new age religion of the later part of that decade, truly these white ppl really can’t leave it alone huh….
The movement of psychedelic design was one that was especially popular within the later years of the 1960s, very much in line w the changing times and the changing priorities for people, that type of art had fluid lines, colorful patterns, and vibrant colors. I love the art of Wes Wilson so much, i do think he is one of the most representative artists of that specific type of art style, with his art style that was deeply inspired by art nouveau, you can definitely see how it was inspired specifically by the artworks of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, especially with all the flowing and effortless fluid lines. It was inspired by the old, and yet it was a totally fresh and trendy new movement at the time, and ended up being the basis for a lot of how the template for posters / advertisements / graphic design of the last years of the 1960s.
That later part of the 1960s also brought the rise of activism and anti-war movement. There was a wave of independence across a lot of colonized countries during that era, an increasing political awareness of justice inequalities, of civil rights, wars and there was a very politicalized mindset across people in general, and especially the youth. When it comes to the west, especially in the united-states, there were three major movements going on, the one against the war in vietnam, the movement for civil rights as well as women’s rights and feminist movements. And this is specifically in the usa and in the west, and doesn’t take into account the various independence and anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist movements across the globe. During the 1960s, there was definitely a wind of change when it came to politics that was very much leftist, and wanting to have positive social change for all, there was concrete action and solidarity from the black panthers and various independence and social justice movements across the world. When it comes to activism and the way it intersects with fashion for example, well fashion can be a form of self-identity and of self-belonging, and this is definitely seen when it comes to the way activists and social justice movements came together during that era. Fashion was a unifying force in a way it no longer is, when we think of social justice and activism in our current era, where a lot of the good fight is done online, because the use of the sartorial can create a sense of identity, community and selfhood.
I know a lot of people think that online activism is faux-activism and while I definitely can understand this mindset to a certain extant, I can also definitely see the uses of social media to shed lights on issues such as the one in Palestine and be able to very much put pressure on governments and on Isr*el. I also think about how so much ressources and knowledge can be easily found and understood on the internet, I agree that it still has its issues, and it is still also good to go out there and do concrete change, but I think that online activism is still worthwhile. There is no cool outfit to go with that though.
Even tho I think there is no longer a definite visual aesthetic and fashion style when it comes to activists and social justice nowadays, it was definitely not the case during the 1960s. It is possible to mention The black panthers with their very stylish quasi uniforms. their black berets, black leather jackets and firearms, it is possible to witness that either in pictures or in Agnes Varda’s documentary on the black panther, which is currently available on criterion channel at time of recording. First of all, the fit is genuinely impeccable. It is stylish and extremely visually striking. It is that outfit, that uniform, that most members of the black panthers were wearing, that was a very concrete and visible symbol of their unity and their solidarity behind their activism and their fight to protest the treatment of black people and the injustices they were facing during that era.
I personally think that wearing certain clothes can definitely be a move of political resistance and defiance, the same way the anti-war activist were wearing a black armband to symbolize mourning and show their opposition to the Vietnam war and the atrocities the american was committing in the name of fighting communism, the same way that there is power in hijabis wearing their headscarves in heavily islamophobic countries in which they are constantly policed, the same way indigenous people of all kind wearing their traditional garments is a direct resistance to imperialism and assimilation. Clothing and fashion has a crucial part in our lives and the way we communicate and understand each other, and by such, has an incredible political power.
I do think clothing and fashion definitely still has a very political significance today, I think that the issues with fashion and clothing now especially are also very tied with concept of ethical fashion, sustainability and environmental issues as well as labor issues, all of which are intimately connected to political issues, but I don’t think I have quite seen a fashion style that was simply closely intertwined with a particular activist group or issue nowadays. This affect predominantly women of color in the global south as well as modern slavery and this is why we all need to demand better treatment for garment workers, despite how it means that new clothing will definitely rise in price, but all of us, ALL OF US, deserve to be paid fairly for our labor, and that definitely includes garment makers.
Fashion magazines always have had a very prominent place within the world of print since the 19th century, and it is by that medium that beauty standards and fashion trends used to be imposed on to the general public. Even though, this is rapidly changing in light of social media and mass communication, where now the trends and fashionable styles are decided by quote unquote normal people, whereas the construction of taste and fashion used to be built by the higher classes, the rich people, the magazines and the fashion houses, meanwhile, now, it feels like they’re always sort of running around to catch up to whatever is the newest trend on social media. It’s a fairly new dynamic, so definitely something to keep an eye on, but I do think it’s quite fascinating. In the 1960s, the construction of glamour was still created within the spaces of magazines such as Vogue and Harpers bazaar, but where the visuals were ultra-feminine and glamorous in the prior decades, even these very uptight institutions opened themselves to the spirit of the times, and the more colorful and lighter aesthetic that was the mainstream fashion of the 1960s.
Before we go more into it, I feel like i should say, if it wasnt’.. already obvious, that im the kind of person … who likes pretty things, who likes fashion and clothing, and beautiful art, whatever that means for me. I love aesthetically pleasing things, but i am not unaware of the damages of fast fashion, of beauty standards and all of it. When it comes to beauty specifically, I feel like the words of my lovely friend saffron, who is a beauty critic and connaisseur, are the ones that really sticks to mind and truly says it all for me. From her article « On loving beauty, warts and all », I will link that whole article in the shownotes, and her archived blog is truly a wonder for those who love beauty and analysis. So. quote :
«Because the truth is, a lot of things about this industry fill me with hatred. I hate predatory plastic surgery clinics. I hate “instagram face”. I hate influencers that exploit their followers. I hate that we’re marketing beauty products to children. I hate that a skincare routine is considered a necessity. I hate that we shame people for their skin problems. I hate the way models are treated. I hate faux feminist advertising. I hate capitalism. I hate dishonourable marketing tactics. I hate that beauty has killed. I hate beauty standards. But I love beauty. Despite it all.
I don’t know what that says about me.»
Unquote.
Beauty in the 1960s is bold, colorful and hugely hugely dramatic, especially when it came to the eyes. The eyeliner was bold and prominent, the use of fake lashes for this very doe-eyes extravagant look. It was a bold time for beauty and the advertisements for beauty products reflected this trend. Yardley London is a company that was founded in 1770 and was a very popular cosmetics brand during the 1960s, with those beautiful and lovely looking advertisements with the leading starlets of the era, with Jean Shrimpton, Olivia Hussey or for example Twiggy advertising the Twiggy Lashes. These advertisements had such a distinctive visual identity, with mostly pastel colors used, as it was mainly advertised toward a younger audience of younger women and teenage girls. The graphic design was definitely inspired from the psychedelic art trend, as well the various general trends of the era, the popular colors, the popular aesthetics.
Of course, these advertisements were a mean of asserting beauty standards and the ideas of what people should look like, what they should wear, but especially what women should look like. Beauty standards are extremely arbitrary, in the 1960s, it was the extremely thin and lanky silhouette that was fashionable, very akin to the silhouette of the 1920s, meanwhile just a few years prior, the hourglass figure of the 1950s bombshells was the desirable silhouette. These advertisements, those magazines, they all perpetuates those unfair standards, and shame anyone that doesn’t conform to them. No matter when we look at in history, beauty standards were always a thing and it was always mostly unattainable for a large part of society, and I think especially so in the 1960s where a very willowy and skinny silhouette was favored. The role of advertisment in enforcing a certain narrative of what is desirable, and especially when it comes to the standards of beauty and body image, and what is considered as being attractive. These ideas of attractiveness are enforcing a very white and euro-centric idea of what beauty is. For example, advertisements of the 19th century England of a soap that would make you look « lighter skinned », and so basically the beauty standards and its advertisement are just another tool of white supremacy and imperialism. It is something that is still going on today, with issues of colorism, especially in south-asia and south-east asia, issues of racism and anti-blackness that are still very much a part of the fabric in which society works.
I guess the important thing here is that I really want you to get that all art is political, and by this, i don’t mean that all art is created with a political intent, but that all art has a political significance and reflects the culture and issues and preoccupations of the era it was created in, and also that the way we understand art and fashion in our current present. Everything is shaped by culture and society and politics, and nothing can escape that. It is naive to think that art or fashion and beauty, or anything really, but we were talking about these subjects, that they can exist in a vacuum and everything we create and everything we consume is shaped by all of these factors, by colonialism and imperialism, by capitalism, by personal biases and racism and sexism, and it does not mean that that art has no value, it just means that you always have to be able to understand how certain things were shaped by the context they were created in, the knowledge that was available at the time, as well as the current events of the time. I have no doubt that future historians and art historians will look onto our current age and see the same biases and same forces that are at play. The same way the 1960s were shaped by the cold war, the fight against imperialism and profound activism for social justice, civil rights, anti-war movements, and yet so much consumerism and materialism. These complexities and constant oppositions and constrasts are always being found time and time again. Because history and art history is complex, and even if the study of art, of graphic design, of fashion history and visual history can seem frivolous at first glance, they tell a story, they tell a story of who we were and what was important to us, and what we now consider important looking back on the past, and I think that is incredibly essential for us to move forward.
Before we go, I put a bunch of relevant resources on today’s subject in the show notes, you have some books as well as some theses and articles that you can read if you maybe want to further your knowledge and read more on the subject. As always, all the relevant images will also be on all of our social platforms @ imaginarium_pod on instagram as well as on twitter. This podcast was written, narrated and produced, by yours truly, Nadjah, If you want to support this podcast, you can do so on patreon.com-nadjah , n a d j a h . I want to take this opportunity to thank my patrons : may leigh, vilja sala, Trung-Le Nguyen Cappecci, Jak, Sam Hirst, Jenny, Jameson Gregg as well as Nathalie, thank you so much for making the work i do with this podcast possible.
Today’s Recommendation of the day is Sunset People by Donna Summer.
On this, I wish you all a very lovely day, evening or night, and I hope to see you again very soon.