MISBEHAVIOUR A special edition zine on the abnormal/anti-social/experimental misbehaviour concept - to enlighten, explore and challenge social-normality.
LAVENDER CLEAVAGE
DEAR READER, WELCOME TO THE 8TH EDITION OF LAVENDERCLEAVAGE. AFTER A LONG SUMMER HIATUS THIS ZINE WILL START ITS COMEBACK WITH MORE EDITIONS, MORE COLLABORATIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. THIS EDITION, MISBEHAVE, WAS CRAFTED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU A MORE EXTREME FORM OF THE IDEA OF INDIVIDUALITY AND ABNORMALITY. CREATIVITY, INDIVIDUALITY AND UNIQUENESS HAS BECOME VOGUE, AND A KEY TERM IN OUR DAILY LIVES; WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHOP FOR OUR OWN STYLE, BE CREATIVE WITH IDEAS AND PROJECTS, TO BE “OURSELVES”. HOWEVER THERE SEEM TO BE GUIDELINES AND RULES TO HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE OUR UNIQUENESS. I FIND IT CONTROVERSIAL AND HYPOCRITICAL THAT THOSE WHO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL STYLE, BEHAVIOUR ETC. WILL CAST JUDGEMENT AND DISAPPROVAL ON SOMEONE/ SOMETHING FULLY EXPRESSING THEMSELVES/ITSELF. I ALSO FIND IT TROUBLING THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS MENTALLY SUPPRESS OURSELVES TO KEEP US FROM ACTING OR DOING WHAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE OF SOCIAL CONTRUCTS. CHALLENGING THE NORM IS VITAL FOR ANYTHING TO IMPROVE. CHALLENGING, AND “MISBEHAVING” OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION, SURPRISE AND LEARNING. I HOPE YOU WILL BE INSPIRED BY THE ARTISTS, FRIENDS AND SCIENCE IN THIS ZINE, AND START TO MISBEHAVE; ENGAGE WITH SOCIETY, EXPERIENCE IT AND EXPRESS YOURSELF. EVE
BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND SAFETY AND MORALS.
WHAT IS NORMALITY? WHAT ARE SOCIAL NORMS? WHY DO THEY EXIST? WHY DO WE FOLLOW THE UNSEEN/HIDDEN/UNSPOKEN SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS? WHAT HAPPENS IF WE BREAK THEM?
SOCIAL NORMS THE SILENT PRESENCE OF OTHER’S EXPECTATIONS - BUT WHO ARE “OTHERS”? IT IS EXPECTED THAT INDIVIDUALS DO NOT BEHAVE RANDOMLY, BUT ACT IN CERTAIN WAYS IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS. WITH EVERY SITUATION COMES DIFFERENT GUIDELINES ON THE “PROPER” WAY TO BEHAVE.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE “ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE, AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN MERELY PLAYERS: THEY HAVE THEIR EXITS, AND THEIR ENTRANCES; AND ONE MAN IN HIS TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS.”(1)
(1) The Shadows of a Manchester Soldier - William Shakespeare
A WORD FROM CODY MOIR ABOUT WALKING BACKWARDS ON THE STREETS OF BATH
OKAY, SO WALKING BACKWARDS WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT I STARTED DOING PREDOMINANTLY TO POSITIVELY DISRUPT THE HUMDRUM STATUS QUO OF MODERN CAPITALISM. PEOPLE GO ABOUT THEIR DAYS SO MUNDANELY AND CARELESSLY, SO TO SPRINKLE A BIT OF RANDOMNESS AND ABSURDITY CAN NEVER GO AMISS. IT ALSO EVOKES A CALM STATE OF MINDFULNESS WHEN DONE PROPERLY, BECAUSE IT FORCES ONE TO CONCENTRATE WHOLEHEARTEDLY OR THEY WOULD FALL OVER. AND I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY DONE IT IN A GROUP, HOWEVER, I’VE BEEN DOING MY DANCEWALK MOVING SILENT DISCOS THROUGH TOWN IN A GROUP. BUT I FEEL LIKE WALKING BACKWARDS ON YOUR OWN IS MORE IMPACTFUL IN TERMS OF THE WTF FACTOR
THE YOUTH TATTOO REBELLION
AN EXPLORATORY LOOK AT THE RISING POPULARITY OF TATTOOS DESPITE DISAPPROVAL. Every piece of art permanently placed on their skin had a meaning, as superficial or deep as you may regard it, the design has meaning to that person who chose to express themselves with the most permanent way possible. My friends told me that often adults would voice concern about the tattoo being a bad decision and their own worry about getting a job or the views and opinions others would make about them because of the tattoo. However, they always followed up with the conclusion that the tattoo was appropriate and in a spot on their body that was fine. The main concern they said was when they were getting the design just right, so it encapsulated a feeling, moment, memory or way of thinking they always wanted to remember. The first friend I talked to had what I
saw just as a band tattoo, but after talking to her, the band and their music was a vibration in the air that resonated with her deeply, the feelings and emotions that the songs made her feel were important and beautiful. Her tattoos were planned months before her 18th birthday. A new friend offered to share her ink stories, and as a new friend, she was still a mystery but her ink was an exciting story of bits of her life so far. Her first had incredible sentimentality, as it was for her cousin who had a whole in her heart when she was born. The turtle she drew herself when she had consumed hallucinogens, the stitch is a matching tattoo with her best friend, the Viking runic symbols are also matching with two other of her closest friends meaning love, partnership
the band tattoo (above)
the turtle (above), and the heart for her cousin (below)
and strength. The only tattoo she regrets is a wonky heart at the end of her spine, which she says she will get covered up one day but until then it’s a funky reminder of a drunk holiday in Magaluf. Rachel, who currently sports four tattoos recently got a new one and wanted to share it with me. Her Instagram caption speaks for itself, but in other words of “pew pew mother fucker” it’s an art piece of love not war. Another very old friend of mine had her first tattoo, a dragon, and the only people who know of it are her closest friends. She lives with her mum, who is very strict, therefore, despite the tattoo’s symbolism, it’s a secret, a discreetly placed one. My sister is a very special person to me, at the age of 16 she did her own stick and poke with her partner. Both of their tattoos have stereotypical meanings, and as I am so close to both I can see how important classically superficial meanings mean to them both.
As you can see my sister, Maddie, deals with self-harm. Her simplistic ink was purposefully placed around her cuts and scars to remind her of growth and in her words “life and shit”. Our mum’s response was extremely negative. Tattoos have always been frowned upon by all our family, but her desire to express her feelings and give herself permanent reminders was so important that a self-tattoo kit was bought off amazon.com. Caleb, Maddie’s boyfriend and my friend, tattooed himself at the same time as Maddie. Caleb’s mum was also disapproving and comments that it looks a little like dirt on her ankle. But as a simple and pretty thought I appreciate the beauty of the small piece. When Maddie and Caleb tattooed each other I know that it held significant emotional value in supporting each other, through their relationship and through the pain of the needle. I’ve known Jacob for over two years. We come from a small town in the middle of nowhere
pew pew mother fucker
discrete dragon (above) a small leaf (below)
and I know that it’s hard to find yourself in such a town. There is a pressure to be like everyone else. Jacob’s tattoo, although a semi-cliche design, has such a personal and powerful meaning. Originally from the game Halo, his tattooed symbol means shame; a character from the game is falsely branded with the symbol, with even though he knows his actions aren’t shameful. He wears his brand like a badge of pride. I asked Jacob why he got the tattoo, he responded, “because everyone always thinks there is something wrong with me, but the wrong is just me”. Tattoos are expensive, permanent and a variety of painful. So is the ink worth it? Does it let you express yourself how you want to? Society still has an old-fashioned view of tattoos, with disapproval a prevalent theme in the judgements cast. Getting a tattoo is still seen as a rebellious action. Despite this, everyone I asked said yes, it was totally worth it. The movement of misbe-
having youth getting and giving tattoos has increased over the past twenty years. The tattoos seem to identify the individual with the marginalised, as the origin of tattoos come from sailors and victims of society (like criminals) (1). A scientific journal published a study of 379 adults from London, who all had tattoos. It was recorded that, “of this sample, 25.7 per cent possessed at least one tattoo, with no sex difference in the distribution of tattoo status. We found that tattooed adults had significantly higher reactive rebelliousness [...] than non-tattooed adults” (2). Perhaps once your tattoo is seen by the public, you are branded with the “rebel” or “misbehaving” label and act in accordance, or perhaps getting tattooed is part of the expression of a rebellious soul choosing to express themselves the way they see fit. Tattooed or not, expression is a form of misbehaviour in some cases, and it’s up to you to choose if you
wear your rebelliousness and individuality on your skin, or let your actions speak for themselves.
branded
links (1)https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ psychiatric-disorder/201505/tattoos-rebellion-or-conformity-0 (2)https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/ citation/26439666/ Are_tattooed_adults_really_more_aggressive_ and_rebellious_than_ those_without_tattoos
Behaviour of an individual when complying with the unwritten rules is called “conformity”. Behaviour of the individual can then be predicted. Norms are said to provide order in society, Saul McLeod, as psychology lecturer at The University of Manchester commented that, “human beings need norms to guide and direct their behaviour, to provide order and predictability in social relationships and to make sense of and understanding of each other’s actions” (2) But do we always need to constrict ourselves in order to make people feel comfortable? What about those who have asperger syndrome or autism (etc), does the public stare because they are the only ones who aren’t acting “normally”? Why don’t we choose to freely express ourselves as well? Dance in the streets without music Sing as you walk Hold hands with your friends and run across the pavements Take off your shoes and feel the ground your feet travel Close your eyes as you walk, and blindly guide yourself to the nearest food stand with your sense of smell Stop and wonder at the amazing architecture, try and climb it
(2) https://www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.html
CHALLENGING
Renée Cox, Yo Mama’s Last Supper, 1999
ci’s painting The Last Supper, composed of a large photographic montage of five panels with A BRIEF LOOK INTO CONTRO- eleven black men, a VERSIAL ART AND ITS AFwhite Judas and a naFECT ON INDIVIDUALS AND ked black woman standSOCIETY ing centre stage in the place of Jesus (I highly recommend searching When visiting a musea HD picture online). um, or art gallery, The work of art, made you may analyse an art piece that pleases you. in 1999 by Renée Cox. The piece was called A 3D or 2D piece will to be removed from the impact you visually. Brooklyn Museum of Art Auditory and physiduring the Committed cal works also allow to the Image: Contemyou to experience in a porary Black Photogradifferent way, as does phers exhibition by New mixed media. Various art forms cause differ- York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2001. In ent reactions; visual/ a debate in February auditory pleasure or of 2001 with William discomfort, or provokDonohue, the president ing thoughts. Many art of the Catholic League pieces challenge norfor Religious and Civmality, and call into il Rights, Cox was question practices in challenged on her need daily life. for nudity in the image, and if her motive Yo Mama’s Last to produce the piece. Supper is an imitation Donohue also accused of Leonardo da Vin-
ART
Cox of being an irresponsible anti-Catholic propagandist. Cox replied, “I have a right to interpret the Last Supper just as Leonardo da Vinci created the Last Supper with people who look like him”. Cox shattered the premise that Jesus, and his disciples, were white, deservedly. This racial premise of Jesus has long been a norm in Western culture, with depictions of Jesus Christ in paintings, churches, stickers, and other paraphernalia, being white. And by displaying a model of her own naked figure to the public, of different colour and gender than Jesus, Cox chose to contradict the social norm of avoiding public nudity and question Western society about the normality of Jesus being depicted as white.
Banksy, another artist, also contradicts norms of the art industry. Banksy is well known for his graffiti street art. His work is all around the world, including Bristol (his home city), post-hurricane Katrina New Orleans, the Barcelona Zoo and the segregation wall separating Palestine from Israel. Banksy’s work in Israel, and elsewhere in the world, contrasted the social norm of advertising. Advertisement campaigns present their product in a manner to made the audience feel inferior without it, thus they sell the products. In Israel, the advertising firm that was the largest in the world was owned by the mogul director Charles Saatchi. Banksy said in an interview with Billy Bliss in 2010 that he believes the ads from large corporations deface urban areas, making the public viewer feel insignificant, and that street artwork battles against that. Graffiti is defined in the U.K. and in many other countries as public property damage,
A Banksy piece on the Israel Wall
meaning the individual doing the graffiti can be arrested and prosecuted. Banksy crosses the law everytime he begins an artwork, keeps his anonymity by
working at night and covered in clothes. All this to deliver a message, to glean a reaction from the public, and have his art be impactful.
Conceptual artist Richard Prince reprinted first edition books of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, with the author’s name changed to Richard Prince. The disclaimer added to the colophon page reads, “This is an artwork by Richard Prince. Any similarity to a book is coincidental and not intended by the artist” and concluded with: © Richard Prince.
Prince sold the glossy cream limited first edition for a few hundred dollars on the streets of New York, increasing the prices when they were signed. Prince received nearly four hundred pages of court documents and litiga-
tions afterwards. Many critics offer suggestions to Prince to read up on the history and current descriptions on the appropriation of art. However, some audience members to this piece do not immediately condemn it as just fraudulence, and analyse the piece. An interpretation of this piece includes Prince questioning the modern culture of appropriation and plagiarism, such as the litigations on smart phone patents between Samsung and Apple (2011-2017) and cultural appropriation, such as during the 2016 New York Fashion week when Marc Jacobs sent Caucasian models onto the catwalk with mock dreadlocks. Prince produced his art piece, contradicting general rules for art plagiarism, however it is interpreted with and influences many individuals, which is the aim of conceptual art. These artists all contradicted various norms, causing a domino of reactions starting with initial reactions, negative criticism, to more publication about
the work, which increases their audience size piece who then interpret, analyse and learn from the work. Art can be a means of sharing a challenging or difficult idea, or perhaps an idea which is going to change somebody, or open their eyes to a pattern in society, culture, art, science or humanity. links: on Renee Cox: (1) http://www.reneecox. org/yo-mamas-last-supper (2) http://www.nytimes. com/2001/02/21/nyregion/ yo-mama-artist-takes-oncatholic-critic.html?mcubz=3 on Banksy: (3) http://banksy.co.uk/ (4) https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/0,,1543331,00.html on Richard Prince: (5) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ harriet/2012/04/richard-princes-latest-actof-appropriation-thecatcher-in-the-rye (6) https://www.mhpbooks.com/richard-prince-makes-another-goddam-phony/
PARADIGMS CONSTRUCTED AROUND THOUGHTS CAUSE SYSTEMS TO BE SET IN PLACE. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE? (LITTLE OR SMALL). REMOVE THE PARADIGMS
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