English Culture Place

Alan Dein

2010-11-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

Oral Historian

" Brick Lane has become an artificial construct, a pseudo China Town, disguising the fact that behind the façade are people living in terrible poverty".

Alan Dein lived in Brick Lane from 1979 to 2001 and he says that it used to be a place that " wrote its own laws and was run by the people who lived and worked there". Now he moved away because " there is no mystery left in the area any more".

" First things first: defend Brick Lane"

2010-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2009/10/17/paul-trevor-photographer/

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2008/08/04/archive-first-things-first-defend-brick-lane

The deportation of Afia Begum

2010-11-12T11:00:00.001-08:00

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1984/may/08/mrs-afia-begum-deportation

Equality and Diversity Policies

2010-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/851-900/861_diversity_and_equalities.aspx

Two Brick Lanes

2010-11-10T03:56:00.000-08:00

" The battle against racism and fascism cannot be won by outsiders who march into an area, chant slogans, and then march out again; it can only be won by the most dedicated, rooted and persistent commitment to undermine and destroy the injustice and neglect on which such movements thrive."

Revd Kenneth Leech, Brick Lane, 1978: The Events and Their Significance

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=21520

Stories and mythologies of London's East End

2010-11-10T03:16:00.000-08:00

Count Dracula's East End hideout was located in Chicksand Street ( novel writtten by Bram Stoker in 1897 )

Jack the Ripper

The ghost of Annie Chapman

Brick Lane Sunday Market

2010-11-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Taken on: April 1, 1976 by Jean Penders

Taken on: December, 1976 by Jean Penders

Taken on: September 11, 2006 by Fabio Venni

Taken on: March 26, 2006 by Quixotic54
http://flickriver.com/groups/44989944@N00/pool/interesting/

Jef Aerosol, stencil on poster, Brick Lane

2010-10-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Jef Aerosol hit up a few stenciled posters around Brick Lane in December 2005. Awesome.

http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/index.html

Stencil Art by Jef Aerosol

2010-10-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Jef Aerosol is a French stencil graffiti artist who has been one of the very first street art pionners of the early 80s. He has left his mark on the walls of many cities in the world including London.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jefaerosol/

Fear

2010-10-29T10:50:00.001-07:00

Brick Lane, London

http://www.back2mine.net/index.php/gallery/

Graffiti Art in Brick Lane

2010-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

" For One Moment I Thought You Were Sad"

" Wild Cat Capitalist"

" Mystery Girl"

" Faceless Pinup Girl"

Recently, the East End street has become a popular focus for art, particularly in terms of street art.

http://samgolden.co.uk/blog/category/arts/

Welcome to Brick Lane

2010-10-27T08:49:00.001-07:00

A place where feelings of fascination, fear and freedom of being different are strongly mixed like the vibrant and multicultural people who surround you.

http://www.urbanimage.tv/gallery/

Shopping Malls on Weekends

2010-05-15T08:25:00.001-07:00

Tokyo Mosque

2010-05-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

The interior architecture of the mosque is based upon the designs from Turkey.

Galleries Lafayette

2010-05-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Galleries Lafayette in Paris has been my first association of a shopping mall with a cathedral. I had visited it some time ago and I remember that it had looked like some kind of sacred place: the beautiful glass dome, the painted windows and all the richness of each detail, even the balconies and its arcades of golden surfaces. Its architecture is absolutely amazing and it is very closely to the interior of a mosque. So I made some research about it and I found that the building was redesigned in 1906 by Ferdinand Chanut according to his predilection for oriental bazaars, inspired in a neo-Byzantine style. "A golden light was used to create a more intimate environment and to set the merchandise aglow" and from the start, the aim was to attract ladies of the high society and also working women who made time during their lunch break.

http://www2.galerieslafayette.com/international/goFolder.do?f=history_en&lang=en&fontLang=null

Damien Hirst

2010-04-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

"The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Somebody Living " ( 1991 )

I have something to say about this Damien Hirst’s work.

Initially I thought it was definitely awful because of the dead shark suspended in the tank, but the true is that every time we visit a Natural History Museum we also find sharks and many other species of animals dead and embalmed.

When we keep away the idea of the using of a living being and pay attention to the work itself and its message, we understand that is incredibly fantastic, real and shocking. We can easily get its meaning: the fear of death. It’s awesome how he represents this fear using the image of a shark. The analogy is perfect: an ugly and giant animal with a powerful strength, kept inside of a limited space, our mind.

Henry Moore Drawings

2010-04-17T11:07:00.001-07:00

http://www.henry-moore.org

Henry Moore Sculptures

2010-04-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

How did he create objects as if they could only have been the result of natural processes over millions of years?

His work is amazing. Effectively, Henry Moore’s sculptures seem to be created by Mother Nature. Its relation with surrounding space is incredibly perfect and harmonious, and its shapes are extremely beautiful.

More about: http://www.kew.org/henry-moore/

William Blake, the " Glorious Luminary"

2010-04-17T07:38:00.001-07:00

" The Song of Los"

" Ancient of days"

William Blake‘s work is extraordinary. Each one of his paintings is profoundly rich in meaning. Sometimes considered mad, he was very singular and expressive. His work shocked some conventional ideas in the 18th century. Somehow he can be compared with Banksy and his transgression.

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi

2010-04-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

"Faraday"

University of Birmingham

" Head of a Dongon Mask"

( modelled plaster )

" Vulcan"

Central Square - Newcastle

I would like to make reference to Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, one of the members that founded the movement of the Independent Group in Britain. Despite starting his career working with collages in the mid-1950s influenced by American mass media and populist art, there was a great evolution in his work. He had become a wider artist, particularly in sculpture, creating his own view about things. He highlights future, science, research, knowledge and change. “Faraday” has over five metres high and was a gift to the University to mark its Centenary.

Information Source:http://www.whitfieldfineart.com/

One & Other Project

2010-03-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.skyarts.co.uk/site/plinth/

Art is somehow the way you express your own feelings, the way you get in touch with the others and especially with yourself. That moment is precisely the special moment you are making art, the moment you are dealing profoundly with yourself, the moment of reflexion, and the way you feel you can express it to get it known by the others or not . That is why everyone can somehow make a moment of art in their own life. You just have to explore your creativeness and keep in touch with yourself and what you are feeling about and then you find it… art.

And that’s why Antony Gormley is my favourite. I like the way he uses the human being form to express his own fears, doubts, thoughts, visions, his relations with the others, and particularly with himself and his identity. This is also what I feel about the project “One & Other”. I believe Antony Gormley actually wanted to give an opportunity to other people to express themselves, to let their feelings flourish and the result was simply unforgettable.

I do believe the purest way of making art is that in which the artist creates the simplest forms, and things are deeply profound and spontaneous.

Comment posted on:

http://web.me.com/paul_driver/Soapbox/English_Culture

Antony Gormley Sculptures

2010-03-06T08:19:00.001-08:00

What I most like in Antony Gormley sculptures is that he works essentially with the human being form, its positions and relations with others and spaces. He is very simple but at the same time very objective. There is a message in each one of his works that surely has a strong meaning or at least I feel it that way. I really like a lot this one called "Witness". The man sitting, his head on the flexed knees and both arms crossed. The position of reflection. Is he the only witness of his reflection?

Angel of the North

2010-03-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

I really really love this work! Antony Gormley is absolutely fantastic! I think is awesome such a simple structure can produce a magnificent illusion in surrounding space. The straight lines can effectively create the idea of someone's presence. I can even imagine its strength.. . One day I will certainly visit Newcastle to see and feel this Angel of Iron.

José Malhoa

2010-03-01T10:01:00.001-08:00

" Os Bêbados " ( The Drunks ),1907

" O Fado ", 1910

José Malhoa was a portuguese naturalist painter from 19th century. Details are the main point of his work like both paintings in which scenes are so extraordinarily real. I would like to mention the tie's detail in the man who is playing guitar and the woman who is loosing her shoe in " O Fado".

Amadeo Souza-Cardoso

2010-02-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

"Menina dos Cravos" ( Carnations Girl ), 1913

" Procissão Corpus Christi" ( Corpus Christi ), 1913

" Barcos" ( Boats ), 1913

"A Cozinha da Casa de Manhufe" ( Manhufe's Kitchen), 1913

Amadeo Souza Cardoso was a painter from Amarante who introduced the modern art in Portugal. Although his work has some cubist influences it is mostly known by his futurist style. I like particularly the " Corpus Christi", its colours, geometric shapes and composition that seem chaotic at first sight, however has something more covered up that is perfectly defined after looking a few minutes.

The Impressionism

2010-02-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

"The atelier boat", Claude Monet

Impressionism is one of the periods of Art History that I most appreciate. I like particularly the technique of representing a real scene or an object or even a person using the effect of reflected light and also the primary colours. Claude Monet is my favourite. His own sensations are reproduced using the contrast of shadow and light. It is such incredible that the movement of water, even of clouds or leaves is felt when we look at his paintings. I like his complicity with nature. The old boat was used as a floating workshop to be closer to inspiration.

Art, Design & Architecture

2010-02-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Back for a new aim this time called “Art, Design & Architecture “.

For a start I would like to mention that the subject of this project is one of my favourites. Once in the past I studied Art & Design in secondary school so this will give me the pleasure to recall the knowledge I acquired from that great time; other will certainly be the result of an extensive research that I'll be treating on until the end of this project.

In addition I would like to say that more than learning about Art& Design I had the opportunity to enlarge the sensitiveness and openness to look at every kind of human art expression with other eyes. So I guess I got the curiosity of an artist!

When I first thought about what I would choose to represent each one of the items “Art, Design & Architecture “, I remembered of the good old times of researching in the Art Library of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon city.

Although I do prefer contemporany art rather than others I will post here some of my favorite works from earlier centuries. First I will refer to a period of Art History – specifically, the Impressionism, then I will mention two portuguese painters with especial attention to Amadeo Souza-Cardoso. José Malhoa is not one of my favourites but I do like all the realism that can be found in several of his paintings.

My Museum

2009-06-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

African Mask

I have it fixed on the wall of my bedroom. I bought this fantastic african mask in a handicraft market a few years ago. Its related to my great interest in people from different cultures. The African tribes and its religious ceremonies are one of the most interesting and mysterious subjects.

Pipe Incense Burner

I believe that burning incense can bring you positive energy or at least, it can make your surrounding more magical. I brought this burner from Aljezur, Algarve.

Photo Collection

I brought this photos from my old house in Lisbon when I was 17 years old. They belonged to the vanished family of the house owner where we were living. Some of those photos remained to 1903 and are signed by Souza & Paul from Real House of Portuguese India.

Pakistan Onyx Glasses

This beautiful onyx wine glasses were a gift from a pakistan friend.

Tin Bracelet

I made it myself at art & design school classes when I was 14 years old. We learnt how to work with tin and linoleum materials.

Stone from Marão

It means my connection with nature. A few years ago I did an expedition to Marão mines and I pick up this little souvenir to my special collection.

Sketchbook

This was my art & design sketchbook. We had a daily exercise that consisted in draw somekind of object in a different type of paper. I did it the whole year and the difficult thing was to find such different number of sheet of paper.

CD Player System

This was my first cd's player sound system. I used it in my car but everytime there was a hole or a drop of speed it stoped playing!

Blue Clogs

I used them when I was a little child. In fact I don't remember that and sometimes I keep looking and thinking: ' Did I really use this?'

Strong-box from the 19th century

I inherited it from a great old friend of my parents who lived with us in Lisbon city. He was a very special person. Sometimes at night we talked for hours and hours and though he was about eighty years old he was one of my confident friends. He had travelled a lot and had lived in several different countries. He had worked with Orson Wells and Greta Garbo. His stories were amazing.

The Parliament Building

2009-05-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Why Westminster?

In the Middle Ages the site was strategically important as it was located on the banks of the River Thames. It was known in medieval times as Thorney Island.

In the 11th century, St Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Saxon monarch of England, built a royal palace at about the same time as he built an abbey, just one close to the other. As it was located in the part west of the city of London the area and also the palace started to call Westminster, a contraction of the words West and Minster ( Abbey ).

Why here?

The palace of Westminster where today are located the Houses of Parliament was for a long period of time the residence of the royal family.

Several english monarch lived here 'till Henry VIII moved out in 1512 following a fire that destroyed part of the building.

The english monarchy called Great Councils in order to met with archbishops, bishops, abbots, barons and earls, basically the pillars of the feudal system.

The Great Council evolved into the Parliament of England by the 13th century.

However the seat of parliament was not permanently based at Westminster.It was wherever the King was.

The King Edward I called the first Model Parliament on 13 November 1295. It has been called the Model Parliament because it was from this meeting that all future meetings were based upon. In 1341 it was not possible to accomodate the whole of Parliament inside the Palace.

The State Opening Ceremony was hold in the King's private apartment, the Painted Chamber. The Lords were meeting in the White Chamber for their discussions, but the Commons at this time didn't have a recognised home for their own. Sometimes they remained in the Painted Chamber or in the Chapter House, but in 1550 St Stephen's Chapel had become the first permanent home for the House of Commons.

Why the Neo-Gothic Style ?
'The Neo-Gothic style resembled the look from the mid-12th century to as late as the end of the 16th century. It had a strong "cathedralic" touch and an evident religious association. By the 1830's it was welcomed as a delightful alternative to the Neo-Classic of the preceding decades. '

On 16 October 1834 the palace was almost destroyed by a devastating fire which started by the overheating of a stove in the House of Lords.

By this time, the English Parliament progressively limited the power of the English monarchy after the English Civil War and the trial and execution of Charles I.

The House of Commons had grow up its legislative power and number of members, meanwhile the House of Lords was the part of the High Court of Parliament involved in judicial work.

A House of Commons Commitee was set up in 1835 and it was decided that a public competition would determinate the designer of the redeveloping of the new palace.

It was also decided that the new Palace of Westminster would be built in the Gothic or Elizabethan style. The Gothic Revival was associated with monarchism and conservatism and it started grow rapidly in England by the 18th century.This explain its choise to the rebuilt of the still officially royal palace.

The Neoclassical style was associated with republicanism and liberalism and its evidence is present in the White House of the United States of America.

Why the Portcullis

and the 'Fleurs-de-Lys'?

' The Portcullis probably came to be associated with the Palace of Westminster through its use, along with Tudor roses, fleurs-de-lys and pornegranates, as decoration in the rebuilding of the Palace after the fire of 1512.'

from the House of Commons Information Office Factsheet.

The Houses of Parliament are represented by an emblem which is known as the Crowned Portcullis.
This symbol is primarily used to authenticate communications from Members. As it have different colours for each of one of the houses it become easier to identify the origin of the documents.

The Portcullis symbol and the 'Fleur-de-Lys' were used by Charles Barry, the architect responsable for the rebuilt of the Palace of Westminster. It was employed by the first and second sovereigns of the Tudor dinasty as its badge and probably used everywhere in the Palace as it was Henry's family residence.

It was under the Tudors that the palace became the regular meeting place of Parliament. So this can be associated to the Barry's carving choice.

Why the coulour green in the House of Commons decoration?

The colour green represented the bounty of nature and fertility during medieval period. It was the colour of the pasture and the greenwood. It was the colour of the countryman, the 'common' man.

Why the colour red in the House of Lords decoration?

The colour red is identified as a royal colour from its use by kings. It was used in the rooms where the king met his court and nobles.

The Succession of Henry VIII

2009-04-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

Edward VI was only nine when he succeeded his father as king of England and supreme head of the English church.

Queen Mary, who was catholic like her mother, married Philip II of Spain, a Catholic, and the English were in violente disturbance.

A few years later Queen Mary died, probably of ovarian cancer, and Elizabeth succeeded her on the throne.The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, under whose reign the English Renaissance came to full bloom, and the arts and literature, especially poetry and theatre, flourished. It was in Queen Elizabeth's reign, the Elizabethan era, that English literature gained its shining stars: Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Early Modern literature would likely never have reached the heights it did, had it not been for Queen Elizabeth.

The Children Of Henry VIII

2009-04-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

Queen Mary I ( daughter of Catharine of Aragon )

also known as "Bloody Mary" for the number of Protestant executions in her reign.

Queen Elizabeth I ( daughter of Anne Boleyn )

also known as "The Virgin Queen" the strongest and most successful monarch in the history of Britain.

King Edward VI ( son of Jane Seymour ) also known as "The Boy King" did not live very long.

Information Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed., Vol XIII.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 289.

The Six Wifes of Henry VIII

2009-04-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Queen Catherine of Aragon ( Divorced )

Henry VIII's first wife and Henry's brother Arthur wife before his death. She was a very religious woman.

Queen Anne Boleyn

While married to Catharine, the King fell in love with Anne to the point of obsession, which resulted in his desire to obtain a divorce. She was accused of adultery by her enemies at court and was beheaded.

Queen Jane Seymour

The third wife of Henry VIII. She succeeded in giving birth to an heir to the crown — Prince Edward. She died a few days after childbirth from an infection.

Queen Anne of Cleves

Henry VIII's fourth wife.The King was not attracted to her and the marriage quickly resulted in divorce. Anne stayed in England, however, and remained in good relations with the King and all three of his children, as well as with his future queens.

Queen Catherine Howard

An attractive young lady, she had been pushed into the marriage by her own ambition, as well as the pressure of her powerful family.She started fooling around with young courtiers and was beheaded.

Queen Katherine Parr ( Survived )

King Henry VIII's last wife. A well-educated lady and a excellent writer with a keen intelligence and solid moral fiber. She outlast the intrigues of court, the bad temper of the King, and the general rigors of court life. She was a sweet-tempered, kind person and the children of King Henry VIII loved her.

Information Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed., Vol XIII.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 289.

The King Henry VIII of England ( 1509-1547 )

2009-04-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Family of Henry VIII 1545 ( Elisabeth on the right )

Unknown artist

Family of Henry VIII, an Allegory of the Tudor Succession 1572

National Museum and Gallery, London

Author: Lucas de Heere

By the beginning of the 16th century there was a current that defended that Roman Church should be reformed. This first happened in England with the rejection of the Pope Clement VII in order to stop the corruption that were frequently succeeding. Meanwhile in Germany a man called Martin Luther was founding a new kind of Christianity based in his interpretation of Bible.

The King Henry VIII (1509-1547) was the first English monarch to be a learner of the renaissance ideas and that was his regent lighting. He became a highly skilled scholar, linguist, musician and athlete. Although he was dissatisfied with the union with Catherine of Aragon ( his brother's widow ) it was completed in the first few months of his reign.

All of his sons had been dying in infancy so it was fairly certain that Henry VIII could have no male heir to the throne while Catherine remained his wife. There was Mary, but no queen regnant had yet ruled in England; he wanted his marriage annulled. All these considerations were intensified by Henry VIII's passion for Anne Boleyn, though she certainly was not the sole or the main cause of the divorce. That the succession was the main point is proved by the fact that Henry's efforts were all directed to securing a wife. As the Catholic Church refuse it, Henry assumed his supremacy over religious questions. He got divorced and implanted the English Church, the Protestantism.

Information Sources: Universal Modern Encyclopedia - Lexicoteca;

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed.,

Vol XIII.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 289.

What I am reading

2009-03-21T04:10:00.001-07:00

«The Outcast is about a boy called Lewis - his childhood and adolescence – as he grows up in the stultifying world of the home counties in the late forties and fifties. It is an everyday tale of drunkenness, violence and a fair amount of sex, set amongst the well-brought-up professional classes. It is also a love story.»

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

How to write an Essay

2009-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

Talking about the structure of an essay the title must be precise about what you intend to argue and the subtitle must give the framing of your position.

The development of an argument must start by defining an aim explaining what you intend to defend and how you will do it.

The ‘body’ of an argument must be coherent and concise using intellectual tasks as analogy and examples or making reference to theory and also using the rhetorical question.

The reader should be in touch with your understanding of the subject and also with your position.

The conclusion of an essay should corporate the summary of the main ideas and leaving in an intelligent way is giving voice to a challenge.

Movement

2009-03-05T04:40:00.001-08:00

Photos by Paula Ferreira

Covent Garden, London February 2009

Vintage and Second Hand Clothing World

2009-02-28T03:43:00.000-08:00

London offers you the opportunity to visit and stand hours inside the amaising vintage and second hand clothing shops all over the city. There are several 20's, 30's, 50's or 60's pieces as shoes, bags, stand-out dresses and many, many other acessories you can use to create your own individual look for cheaper prices.

It's such a fantastic different world that makes me be in love with this attractive and original city.

London beautiful as ever

2009-02-25T07:37:00.001-08:00

Photos by Paula Ferreira, February 2009, London, England.

Today is the day

2009-02-18T04:02:00.000-08:00

The plane will be taking off at 9.15 p.m.

See you in London city:)

London

2009-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

'Streetlight by the River Thames with the Houses of Parliament', photo John Gay (1909-99). London, England, c.1940 from Victoria and Albert Museum Collection

Soon I will be walking around this mysterious city.

Modernism

2009-01-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

This movement appeared in the middle of the 20th century defending the modern ideias instead of traditional ones. It began to modifying traditional beliefs and doctrines especially from the Roman Catholic Church. As such, the Modernism was a period that brought a storm of cultural, creative and artistic people to England. Several artists start to writte or to paint their feelings of life expressing freedom of thoughts. The modernism was getting stronger in methods of diffusion.

Everything was pretty and new! They lived for style, for fashion, for music and for drugs!Their ideology of live was living the moment and be extremely cool!

‘It was so exact, so precise, so neat, streamlined, clean, hard and totally expressive.’

Paul Weller, The ModFather,2003

"It's a Mod World.

Information Sources: http://www.rosehilldesigns.co.uk/; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia.

Punk Ideology

2009-01-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

This socio-cultural contesting movement appeared in the U.K. between the low social classes in 1977 rightly influenced by a north american music band called " The Ramones".

Differently from other previous movements the Punk ideologies startet by refusing the society as a whole very close to Anarchism. They believed that laws, government, order or control weren't necessary.

The violence and sarcasm were used to express their rebelion representing the agressive way they looked at things.

No offering other alternative it didn't become a coherent tendency and it failed as a social group. Nowadays some of these individuals still living in a disconnected position from society trying to survive in which they have always denied.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Peace and Love Movement

2009-01-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

Often having long hair and wearing brightly coloured clothes, the Hippie subculture appeared in the U.S.A in the middle of the 50's taking a very stronger diffusion to U.K and Western Europe society.

Such in unconventional appearance they were extremely careless in their aspect and clothes without taking up one residence or workplace. Frequently descending from traditional families, their ideology was based in a rejection of conventional values like an individual considered separately but a brotherly common life.

They also refused and contested the society as a consumer world depending on commodity of goods and services. Consciously critical they believed they could change the world exercising the "no-violence". Also sex was seen as a way of getting rid of all violence and sucess ardent desire inside of each one.

Often associated with drugs they criated the famous statement " Peace and Love".

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Talking about Ideologies

2009-01-02T05:45:00.000-08:00

"An ideology is a set of aims and beliefs that can be thought of as a way of looking at things, tendencies or a set of ideas proposed by a particular group of a society to all members of this society.

The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer change in society through a normative thought process getting influences in the way people behave."

based on the 7th edition Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary definition

Raver Style

2008-12-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

"Raver" it's a term that defines a “party animal”.It appeared in London in late 50's as describing the Soho bohemian parties with a strange underground beat sound. By the beginning of the 60's it was used to make reference to young people who were attending to wild parties with extreme regularity. From the 80's the word " rave" describes particulary dance parties ( often all-night events). It was predominantly a London-based phenomenon, but definitely have became a UK-main underground youth movement.

It's cultural connotation have been adapted to the circumstances of each decade, varying the music style, social clothes, principles, etc. Recently Electronic, Trance or Techno are considered as "rave music".

Generally these individuals are turned for the party itself without great social or political supports. They usually get an adapted position in fashion, hairstyle and even in behaviour terms for each of those parties.

By the 90th decade there were several organizations such as "Fantazia", "Universe", "Raindance" or "Amnesia House" which were holding amaizing massive legal raves in open field or country warehouses.

The main reazon for the increase of government prevents in order to discourage this kind of mass movement, was the use of drugs very close to acid, hallucinogens or physical performance stimulators such as MDMA, LSD, cocaine, ketamine or ecstasy. In May 1992 this free parties were completely forbidden in U.K.

As the musical principles and also the light effects were suffering a great evolution ( laser light shows, projected images and artificial fog ), as well the parties were getting longer than one night and the clothes have become more coloured and exuberant. In our days this sub cultural style is having a straight rapprochement to a modernized hippie movement.

Speaking about portuguese youth subculture and the "Raver's" there is a straight approach to this british mass movement. This kind of open-field parties is being part of portuguese festivals, particulary during the Summer, as the "BOOM FESTIVAL" in Fundão. However the impact of this movement in Portugal wasn't as stronger as in the U.K.

The rave parties that started playing techno, break beat rave, drum and bass, also include the hardcore techno music, as “happy hardcore” and “bouncy techno”. In Portugal this kind of rave appeared by the end of 90’s with several little concerts basically in the north of the country. One of the biggest and popular electronic big bit band are the Prodigy from Essex, England. They still joining million of people in their concerts and have recently a new album called "Invaders must die".

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Punk Style

2008-12-13T03:14:00.000-08:00

It’s associated to the Punk Rock movement that had appeared in 70th decade. The main events are based on concerts and garage musical improvements, violent and antisocial noise.

The individualism had got a very stronger position in a culture of such social rebellion that it is very close to the Nihilism and the Anarchy.Heavy drugs (as heroine), tattooing, auto-mutilation and primordial piercing are very common.

The fashion takes ground in shocking principles getting adapted to their style of life, as pants jousts, clothes ripped in some parts which are fixed with pins or other metallic objects, leather’s coats, bracelets, earrings and wires with an aggressive aspect. Also the troop boots, Converse tennis and skate shoes are usual.

About the hairstyle is famous the “crest” that is raised with soap and diversely coloured. The hair with peaks and any other form of aggressive and dramatically aspects also proliferate.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Skinheads

2008-12-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Highly influenced by Mods' principles and Jamaicans' cultures (Rude Boys), this sub cultural style had also appeared in the 60’s. The politics’ connotations had got structure afterwards in the middle of the 80’s.

The skinheads’ style was getting force in the workers’ low classes whose economic potential wasn’t the same as the Mod, limiting their choice of expensive tailor-made suits and clubs. They were lined up in the Ska, the primitive Reggae and Rocksteady, before the Reggae get itself the spirit of the Rastafarian.

The short hair or skin-head hairstyle probably come from pragmatism, given that quiff and long hair could be a risk in their industrial jobs, remarking a social and economic class. In clothes terms, the geographic areas had got an enormous influence by having a great variety of styles. From 70th decade, it has an approach to the Punk movement that defined aviator coats and high boots of combat out of pants.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

The Mod's Style

2008-12-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

They were called Mod or Modernists, came naturally after Teds and adopted the Royal Air Force’s symbol with a concentric circle in blue, red and white colours.

They appeared refusing the traditional values of British society and disconnecting of love songs. Instead of that it began to appear the nocturne clubs, dance music, Brit Pop, R&B, etc.

The Mods' groups were directed toward long nocturne hours. They adopted the scooter to keep moving around the city once the public transport services were closing too early at night and also the vehicles’ prices were extremely expensive.

However when the new law established that motorbike would have to have at least a mirror, the Mod’s had finished for placing 4, 10, 20 and more mirrors in their scooters in order to keep parodying the law. In fact that became their group’s symbol.

Speaking about fashion, they were adopting a smooth, sophisticated look with their tailor-made Italian suits (sometimes white) with narrow lapels, mohair clothes, thin ties, button-down collar shirts, wool or cashmere sweaters and hairstyles that imitated the French Nouvelle Vague's look of cinema actors, such as Jean-Paul Belmondo. The use of scooters influenced the appearance of military wide parkas and also coats in order to protect the expensive tailor-made suits.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Ted Subcultural Style

2008-12-12T04:24:00.001-08:00

From “Teddy Boy”. They had appeared in England in the middle of the 50th decade, dressed with clothes based on the period of the beginning of the century, which were reintroduced after the Second Great War. Basically they were inspired in Edwardian period style.

Typically, they exhibited three-quarter coats, habitual use of collars in velvet, fine pants jousts and neckties of strait knot, or also other elements of closing in the collar, and boots or shoes of high soles with colourful stockings at sight.

Hairdos include previous gel’s products, as grease, in order to get, as we call, a greased up-hair with a quiff at the front.

They had been the first group to have a masculine interest in fashion; till that time the masculine fashion was associated exclusively to homosexual’s movements. Teddy Boy’s style intended to cause an impact on public opinion by introduce a new dressing style.

Highly associated to American Rock & Roll, they intended to define a sole style of dressing always looking the same aspect in counterpoint to habitual work clothes versus Sunday’s tailor-made suits.

They are the primordial of 60’s Rockers which we can include Elvis, James Dean or 70’s Rock abilities. John Lennon was one of the famous followers of this style.

Some of these groups were following violent racist white mobs that were attacking black people and their properties.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Starting anew

2008-12-12T02:35:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

This is my new blog and here I will be writing about English Culture. This will be probably the place where I will share with all of you my ideias about music, literature, cinema and course, the classes 'cultural purposes.

Thank's Paul!!

So let's start working!! :)