Gloomy Poison
Black top with detached long sleeves. The sleeves are attached with metal clamps. The top is decorated with two rows of safety pins, a pinned chain and a pinned "Poison" / skull & crossbones print.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Gloomy Poison
Gloomy Poison
Black top with detached long sleeves. The sleeves are attached with metal clamps. The top is decorated with two rows of safety pins, a pinned chain and a pinned "Poison" / skull & crossbones print.
Exploited
Exploited
Black top with detachable long sleeves, with pinned "Punk-Skull" print and decorated with chains and safety pins. This gothic top has tow slits on the front pinned together with rows of safety pins.
Eerie Girl
Eerie Girl
Pink top with black stripes and black straps on the front. Beneath the straps is a red "skull & crossbones" print, as well as smaller black "skulls & crossbones" prints on both arms.
"Deathwish" - tribal rose
"Deathwish" - tribal rose
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a printed red tribal-style rose.
"Deathwish" - silver poison
"Deathwish" - silver poison
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a shiny silver
"Deathwish" - red tribal
"Deathwish" - red tribal
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a red tribal print.
"Deathwish" - punk skull
"Deathwish" - punk skull
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a white "Punk-Skull" print.
"Deathwish" - mauve poison
"Deathwish" - mauve poison
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a mauve "Poison" / skull & crossbones print.
"Deathwish" - black wings
"Deathwish" - black wings
Black fleece jacket with hood. Very pleasant to wear and cozy during the colder days of the year. The jacket has a matt black PVC armlet with a shiny black wings-logo
Friday, 23 November 2007
Gothic Fashion -Dark Tribal
Gothic Fashion -Dark Tribal
Black velvet top with detached long sleeves. The sleeves are attached with metal clamps. The top is decorated with two rows of laced eyelets and a black tribal print on the front.
Gothic Fashion - Dark Angel II
Gothic Fashion - Dark Angel II
Black velvet top with lacing on both sides. The "Dark Angel" & wings print on the front is shiny silver. Both sleeves are separate and attached to the top with metal clamps.
Gothic Fashion - Cryptic Writings
Gothic Fashion - Cryptic Writings
Black top with elaborate print in red, white and gold lettering on the front. The sleeves are detached and in two pieces, held together with a black strap.
Gothic Fashion - Cross of Caligula
Gothic Fashion - Cross of Caligula
Black top with print and flowing mesh sleeves.
Gothic Fashion - Contamination
Gothic Fashion - Contamination
Black & red mesh top with holes and safety pins.
Gothic Fashion - Backlash
Gothic Fashion - Backlash
Black top with slashes on the arms and in the back.
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Goth fashion shows
As the size and sophistication of the goth apparel industry has grown (Batgear Beyond online directory, for instance, lists hundreds of goth shops and labels), in many places goth-specific fashion shows have sprung up. The mainstream fashion world pays little regard to goth fashion, and therefore independent gothic fashion events, or smaller shows that are part of broader fashion events, are necessary for goth designers to show their designs on the catwalk. Edge City, a large goth/alternative fashion show in Sydney, Australia was run as part of the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in 2001 (2), and the last three Nocturnal Instincts/ Circa Nocturna Melbourne alternative fashion shows have been run as part of the arts programme of L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week.
While some fashion shows may only feature 5 or 6 designers, others can be quite large. Edge City (now no longer running) had at its biggest point 21 designers and 96 models(2). Attendance at these events can also be quite large. One of the current big fashion events in Melbourne, Nocturnal Instincts, may get several hundred in attendance. Gothique Fashion in Seattle is one of the longest running shows, and most frequently held, featuring two shows per year since 2003. Additionally, smaller fashion shows are often held in goth night clubs.
[edit] Confusion with heavy metal fashion
Goth fashion is often confused with heavy metal fashion, and uninformed outsiders often mistake fans of heavy metal for goth,[2] particularily those who wear black trenchcoats or wear "corpse paint" (a term associated with the black metal music scene).
This has contributed to the goth subculture being blamed for the actions of individuals with no involvement in the goth scene whatsoever (see: Controversy.)
While some fashion shows may only feature 5 or 6 designers, others can be quite large. Edge City (now no longer running) had at its biggest point 21 designers and 96 models(2). Attendance at these events can also be quite large. One of the current big fashion events in Melbourne, Nocturnal Instincts, may get several hundred in attendance. Gothique Fashion in Seattle is one of the longest running shows, and most frequently held, featuring two shows per year since 2003. Additionally, smaller fashion shows are often held in goth night clubs.
[edit] Confusion with heavy metal fashion
Goth fashion is often confused with heavy metal fashion, and uninformed outsiders often mistake fans of heavy metal for goth,[2] particularily those who wear black trenchcoats or wear "corpse paint" (a term associated with the black metal music scene).
This has contributed to the goth subculture being blamed for the actions of individuals with no involvement in the goth scene whatsoever (see: Controversy.)
Goth fashion culture
Goth style's rejection of mainstream values, emphasis on freedom of expression, and challenging taboos makes it difficult to define its aesthetic principles. Goth fashion emphasizes transformation of the body, elements of beauty, order, conscious eroticism and 'otherness' that flouts conventions.
While a member of the Goth subculture may or may not embrace nihilism, many are drawn to the fashion or music due to a sense of alienation, which may explain the style's fascination with morbidity or vampire style. Wearing black eyeshadow and shroud-like clothing that refers to the dead or undead, may express grief, despair, mourning or deathwish. However, this is not necessarily an anti-life attitude. Rather, Goth fashion can be a positive transformation from alienation through self-expression via beauty and fashion, and through a sense of belonging to a community that shares the same sense of alienation. Alternately, the choice to embrace this fashion may simply rise from a far less complicated psychology, and reflect an attraction to Eros through Thanatos, an attraction to the 'darker' side of sexuality. The wearer may find the extremity, intensity or 'otherness' of the dark Goth look or preoccupations to be sexy or empowering.
Theda Bara's look has inspired some types of Goth fashion.
Theda Bara's look has inspired some types of Goth fashion.
[citation needed]
For women, Goth fashion embraces all body types, unlike mainstream fashion that relies on a hierarchy of beauty superiority based on body and hair type. Goth fashion privileges voluptuousness, sensuality and sexuality through its referral to fashions and even individuals of other eras that also prized these qualities. One famous female role model is Theda Bara, the 1910s 'Vamp' femme fatale known for her dark eyeshadow, curves and smoldering onscreen presence.
Like the Urban Primitive movement, the goth subculture rejects mainstream conventions and encourages reinventing oneself by transformation or physical modification. That one may take total control of one's image is a powerful individual response to a society dominated by Photoshop images that prescribe a rarely attainable ideal of a faked 'natural' beauty. With its obviously dyed hair, pale skin, and differently-defined physical aesthetic, Goth fashion is a calculated "unnatural" response to the unattainable "natural" California Girls golden Barbie (or Ken) image.
Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing (or hair or makeup), often contrasted with boldly colored clothing, hair and makeup in strong shades of deep reds, purples or blues, in fabrics and styles that evoke romantic eras as well as morbidity, that usually combine style elements that flow and drape as well as restrict or emphasize and sexualize a body part (i.e. corsetry or tight sleeves or trousers). Goth fashion further emphasizes the personal power of an individual, as the calculated juxtapositions of elements of the rugged accessories(i.e. metallic and leather), to that of the vulnerable, fragile and sensual restriction of body parts (i.e. lace, silks, and high heels for either gender). Like other fashions that embrace elaborate fashion choices and rules, goth fashion elicits attention from others, both goth or non-goth.
While a member of the Goth subculture may or may not embrace nihilism, many are drawn to the fashion or music due to a sense of alienation, which may explain the style's fascination with morbidity or vampire style. Wearing black eyeshadow and shroud-like clothing that refers to the dead or undead, may express grief, despair, mourning or deathwish. However, this is not necessarily an anti-life attitude. Rather, Goth fashion can be a positive transformation from alienation through self-expression via beauty and fashion, and through a sense of belonging to a community that shares the same sense of alienation. Alternately, the choice to embrace this fashion may simply rise from a far less complicated psychology, and reflect an attraction to Eros through Thanatos, an attraction to the 'darker' side of sexuality. The wearer may find the extremity, intensity or 'otherness' of the dark Goth look or preoccupations to be sexy or empowering.
Theda Bara's look has inspired some types of Goth fashion.
Theda Bara's look has inspired some types of Goth fashion.
[citation needed]
For women, Goth fashion embraces all body types, unlike mainstream fashion that relies on a hierarchy of beauty superiority based on body and hair type. Goth fashion privileges voluptuousness, sensuality and sexuality through its referral to fashions and even individuals of other eras that also prized these qualities. One famous female role model is Theda Bara, the 1910s 'Vamp' femme fatale known for her dark eyeshadow, curves and smoldering onscreen presence.
Like the Urban Primitive movement, the goth subculture rejects mainstream conventions and encourages reinventing oneself by transformation or physical modification. That one may take total control of one's image is a powerful individual response to a society dominated by Photoshop images that prescribe a rarely attainable ideal of a faked 'natural' beauty. With its obviously dyed hair, pale skin, and differently-defined physical aesthetic, Goth fashion is a calculated "unnatural" response to the unattainable "natural" California Girls golden Barbie (or Ken) image.
Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing (or hair or makeup), often contrasted with boldly colored clothing, hair and makeup in strong shades of deep reds, purples or blues, in fabrics and styles that evoke romantic eras as well as morbidity, that usually combine style elements that flow and drape as well as restrict or emphasize and sexualize a body part (i.e. corsetry or tight sleeves or trousers). Goth fashion further emphasizes the personal power of an individual, as the calculated juxtapositions of elements of the rugged accessories(i.e. metallic and leather), to that of the vulnerable, fragile and sensual restriction of body parts (i.e. lace, silks, and high heels for either gender). Like other fashions that embrace elaborate fashion choices and rules, goth fashion elicits attention from others, both goth or non-goth.
Gothic Fashion - Variation and cross-influences
The simplicity of the style lends itself to variation, and is often combined with elements of other styles (typically BDSM fashion). Various piercings and/or tattoos are not uncommon (though this is primarily a 1990s addition to gothic fashion), and both males and females may wear elaborate makeup. Hair is often dyed blue-black, and sometimes backcombed to give it a large, ratty appearance. There are a few similarities between goth fashion and the more masculine black metal fashion, which can make it difficult for someone unfamiliar with either fashion to discern the subculture of the individual. Like the punk subculture out of which it grew, early goth fashion had a strong emphasis on the DIY ethic.
Extension of identity
Fashion is a part of the identity practices of the goth subculture. As such, a person's style (including their clothing, hair, makeup, and accessories) is a major factor in determining whether the person will be perceived as "authentic" by others in the subculture. This is not particular to goth; rather, it is a feature of many subcultures. Styles that are read as "goth" to the mainstream may be read as "outsider" to those participating within the scene, and participants in the subculture may and often do have differing ideas about what constitutes gothic fashion. In his book Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture (Berg Publishers Ltd., Oxford, 2002), Paul Hodkinson talks about goths using their fashion choices to demonstrate commitment to the subculture. In particular, he asserts that more extreme, less easily concealed choices -- such as dyeing one's hair or shaving part of it off -- demonstrate greater commitment.
The core of gothic fashion is individual taste, as gothic culture generally attempts to subvert mainstream conventions of how one must look. Anti-mainstream fashion sentiment is not its prevalent theme, however, nor is this attitude shared by all members of the subculture. While recurrent themes can be identified, many different and highly unique outfits can be witnessed at events like the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig and the Whitby Gothic Weekend in North Yorkshire, England, where the color palette ranges across the spectrum from head-to-toe white to all-black. Between those two extremes, anything goes, be it modern, classic, conservative or ragged.
[edit] Typical aesthetics
Typical goth dress usually consists of, but is not limited to, black clothing, often combined with dark red, occasionally accessorized with silver and/or pewter, that is often Egyptian Ankhs, Christian crosses, and/or Wiccan symbols.
The stereotypical female gothic outfit, sometimes referred to as the "romantic" look, is limited only by the wearer's imagination, and can include elaborate gowns and corsets, veils, hobble skirts, neck corsets, teased hair, eyeliner, black fingernails, fishnets, and styles borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians.
Traditional female goths in general wear some sort of skirt/dress. Also popular are tight-fitting trousers and boots with a slight military look, but moreso connected to Rivetheads.
Traditional male goths mostly wear some sort of black suit (possibly with some dark red, dark blue or silver as contrast), a gothic male is rarely seen without some kind of dress shirt (unless he is wearing nothing on the torso), and legwear often involves tight or rugged-looking pants. As opposed to most other subcultures gothic males almost wear as much makeup as the females.
Unisex As with the unisex nature of makeup, clothing also takes on a more personal, less dichotomized nature in the goth community, which is why male goths may be seen in skirts, dresses, corsets, and other culturally female attire. The nature of the event will to some degree dictate the dress code, but expression of personal style is generally more important, and it's not unusual for club-goers on a given night to appear dressed very formally or elaborately in a way unrelated to the specific event.
The core of gothic fashion is individual taste, as gothic culture generally attempts to subvert mainstream conventions of how one must look. Anti-mainstream fashion sentiment is not its prevalent theme, however, nor is this attitude shared by all members of the subculture. While recurrent themes can be identified, many different and highly unique outfits can be witnessed at events like the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig and the Whitby Gothic Weekend in North Yorkshire, England, where the color palette ranges across the spectrum from head-to-toe white to all-black. Between those two extremes, anything goes, be it modern, classic, conservative or ragged.
[edit] Typical aesthetics
Typical goth dress usually consists of, but is not limited to, black clothing, often combined with dark red, occasionally accessorized with silver and/or pewter, that is often Egyptian Ankhs, Christian crosses, and/or Wiccan symbols.
The stereotypical female gothic outfit, sometimes referred to as the "romantic" look, is limited only by the wearer's imagination, and can include elaborate gowns and corsets, veils, hobble skirts, neck corsets, teased hair, eyeliner, black fingernails, fishnets, and styles borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians.
Traditional female goths in general wear some sort of skirt/dress. Also popular are tight-fitting trousers and boots with a slight military look, but moreso connected to Rivetheads.
Traditional male goths mostly wear some sort of black suit (possibly with some dark red, dark blue or silver as contrast), a gothic male is rarely seen without some kind of dress shirt (unless he is wearing nothing on the torso), and legwear often involves tight or rugged-looking pants. As opposed to most other subcultures gothic males almost wear as much makeup as the females.
Unisex As with the unisex nature of makeup, clothing also takes on a more personal, less dichotomized nature in the goth community, which is why male goths may be seen in skirts, dresses, corsets, and other culturally female attire. The nature of the event will to some degree dictate the dress code, but expression of personal style is generally more important, and it's not unusual for club-goers on a given night to appear dressed very formally or elaborately in a way unrelated to the specific event.
Gothic Fashion (Introduction to )
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture. It is stereotyped as a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical gothic fashion includes black dyed hair, dark eyeliner, dark fingernails, and black clothes. Styles are often borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians. The extent to which goths hold to this stereotype varies, though virtually all Goths wear some of these elements.
Many within the subculture would say that "dressing goth does not turn a person into goth
Many within the subculture would say that "dressing goth does not turn a person into goth
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Anime and Manga for Gothic Lolita
More often than not, "Lolita" in anime and manga is generally considered cosplay and not genuine lolita.
Some prominent manga and anime featuring Gothic Lolita fashion are Paradise Kiss, Coyote Ragtime Show, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, Le Chevalier d'Eon, Rozen Maiden, Godchild, Tsukuyomi - Moon Phase, Othello, xxxHolic, Trinity Blood, Pitaten, Vampire Knight, Venus Versus Virus, many of the works of Kaori Yuki, and all of the works of Mitsukazu Mihara.
The 2006 anime, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, also known as The Wallflower, features four sisters who attend the high school of the main characters, who are called the Goth Loli sisters (Lassine, Madeline, Roxanne, and Yvone). They are depicted purely as the subject of much comedy and they always leave the scene chanting "Goth! Goth! Loli! Loli!"
In some manga, such as Othello, lolita fashion is portrayed as a method of individualizing and becoming less shy. Most of these titles appeal primarily to male fans rather than the lolitas themselves; however, large numbers of lolita girls are visible at manga events such as Comiket. They often buy doujinshi based upon their favorite bands, dolls and movie characters; and some are interested in other kinds of dressing, including cosplay. However, the Gothic Lolita style should not be considered a cosplay, it is an alternative fashion.
Most lolitas, especially those who wear the style on a daily basis, state that "we say we're not cosplay, but they don't listen. Of course we're not happy, but there's nothing we can do about it." (translated from the 2ch lolita fashion messageboard introduction) The comments of this style being cosplay is usually from the otaku who only know of this fashion through anime and manga.
The Marvel Comics miniseries Livewires features a Life Model Decoy that calls herself "Gothic Lolita." "Lol" picked up the fashion while on a mission in Japan. She is described by one of her teammates as liking the idea of being the team's "Ben Grimm in black baby doll lace," Lol minimalistically describes her role as "smashing and bashing duty."
Some prominent manga and anime featuring Gothic Lolita fashion are Paradise Kiss, Coyote Ragtime Show, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, Le Chevalier d'Eon, Rozen Maiden, Godchild, Tsukuyomi - Moon Phase, Othello, xxxHolic, Trinity Blood, Pitaten, Vampire Knight, Venus Versus Virus, many of the works of Kaori Yuki, and all of the works of Mitsukazu Mihara.
The 2006 anime, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, also known as The Wallflower, features four sisters who attend the high school of the main characters, who are called the Goth Loli sisters (Lassine, Madeline, Roxanne, and Yvone). They are depicted purely as the subject of much comedy and they always leave the scene chanting "Goth! Goth! Loli! Loli!"
In some manga, such as Othello, lolita fashion is portrayed as a method of individualizing and becoming less shy. Most of these titles appeal primarily to male fans rather than the lolitas themselves; however, large numbers of lolita girls are visible at manga events such as Comiket. They often buy doujinshi based upon their favorite bands, dolls and movie characters; and some are interested in other kinds of dressing, including cosplay. However, the Gothic Lolita style should not be considered a cosplay, it is an alternative fashion.
Most lolitas, especially those who wear the style on a daily basis, state that "we say we're not cosplay, but they don't listen. Of course we're not happy, but there's nothing we can do about it." (translated from the 2ch lolita fashion messageboard introduction) The comments of this style being cosplay is usually from the otaku who only know of this fashion through anime and manga.
The Marvel Comics miniseries Livewires features a Life Model Decoy that calls herself "Gothic Lolita." "Lol" picked up the fashion while on a mission in Japan. She is described by one of her teammates as liking the idea of being the team's "Ben Grimm in black baby doll lace," Lol minimalistically describes her role as "smashing and bashing duty."
Gothic Lolita culture
In Japan it is mass-marketed, though not widely worn, but has visibility particularly in the streets of Tokyo and Osaka, on television, in manga (see Paradise Kiss) and computer games. The fashion is being picked up worldwide, thanks to the foreign publication of Japanese magazine anthology FRUiTS, where the outstanding style actually blends in with the other quirky teen trends in Japan. More "faithful" adherents to the style take many influences from the Rococo and Victorian periods of European history, believing it to be in the nature of a Lolita to be respectful, polite, and demure at all times; even less extreme adherents are often known to attempt to cultivate interest in hobbies or activities considered appropriate to high-society ladies during these periods, such as needlework, opera, classical and baroque styles of music, painting, sewing, and the traditional observance of high tea. For the most part, however, most Lolitas live a day-to-day life very similar to any average person.
[edit] Lolita outside of Japan
Outside of Japan, the Lolita fashion is still widely unknown; however, it has slowly begun to spread to other countries. Lolita, along with cosplay and other Japanese cultural phenomena, can sometimes be seen at concerts and anime conventions throughout the UK, Australia, France, Holland and the United States, although certain individuals truly committed to the fashion will confirm that Gothic Lolita is not a fancy dress costume, rather, a way of life. The style has not yet been mass marketed outside of Japan, though small, stores based outside of Japan are starting to emerge and a store selling the style, itself called "Gothic Lolita" opened in early 2007 on a prominent stretch of Elizabeth Street in central Melbourne.
Major brands, such as Metamorphose temps de fille, h. Naoto and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright have recognized the international recognition of lolita fashion, and have begun to ship goods to the international market. This is still not very widespread, as many of the clothes produced by non-Japanese designers are not accepted by the Lolita community for being inaccurately portraying the style as related to the British 'goth' or French maid look, and not as high quality as the expensive Japanese brand clothes. Lolita magazines are widely available for purchase on the internet and at Japanese bookstores, which also deal in anime and manga.
[edit] Shopping
Currently the commercial center of the Gothic Lolita subculture is the Marui Young department store in Shinjuku, after its predecessor Marui One closed at the end of August 2004. This large youth-fashion oriented department store has 4 floors entirely devoted to Gothloli and related fashions. Some Gothloli boutiques may be found in the area between Harajuku and Shibuya.
[edit] Goth and Lolita
Lolita as a fashion is not as strongly associated with a particular style of music or outside interests as Goth, and individual followers of Lolita fashion may listen to a wide variety of music including regular pop and rock.
In Japan, Goth is a minor subculture with few followers, partly because the emphasis upon visual identity in Japanese youth culture makes other factors such as music and literature less important signifiers and perhaps partly because Christianity is a minor religion here. In Japan, people who have heard the term "Goth" usually assume that it is simply a contraction of "Gothic Lolita",[citation needed] except for the Goths themselves, who strongly emphasize the differences. Likewise, some non-Japanese observers assume that "Gothic Lolita" is the Japanese version of "Goth", purely on the similarities in fashion.[citation needed]
Previously in Tokyo, the largest "goth" club events, such as "Tokyo Dark Castle", would also attract a noticeable proportion of Gothic Lolita customers. However, since 2005 their numbers have dwindled and such events now primarily attract more typical goth, industrial and metal music fans.[citation needed] Concerts of visual kei themed bands are often attended by many Lolitas, but conversely, few goths.
[edit] Lolita outside of Japan
Outside of Japan, the Lolita fashion is still widely unknown; however, it has slowly begun to spread to other countries. Lolita, along with cosplay and other Japanese cultural phenomena, can sometimes be seen at concerts and anime conventions throughout the UK, Australia, France, Holland and the United States, although certain individuals truly committed to the fashion will confirm that Gothic Lolita is not a fancy dress costume, rather, a way of life. The style has not yet been mass marketed outside of Japan, though small, stores based outside of Japan are starting to emerge and a store selling the style, itself called "Gothic Lolita" opened in early 2007 on a prominent stretch of Elizabeth Street in central Melbourne.
Major brands, such as Metamorphose temps de fille, h. Naoto and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright have recognized the international recognition of lolita fashion, and have begun to ship goods to the international market. This is still not very widespread, as many of the clothes produced by non-Japanese designers are not accepted by the Lolita community for being inaccurately portraying the style as related to the British 'goth' or French maid look, and not as high quality as the expensive Japanese brand clothes. Lolita magazines are widely available for purchase on the internet and at Japanese bookstores, which also deal in anime and manga.
[edit] Shopping
Currently the commercial center of the Gothic Lolita subculture is the Marui Young department store in Shinjuku, after its predecessor Marui One closed at the end of August 2004. This large youth-fashion oriented department store has 4 floors entirely devoted to Gothloli and related fashions. Some Gothloli boutiques may be found in the area between Harajuku and Shibuya.
[edit] Goth and Lolita
Lolita as a fashion is not as strongly associated with a particular style of music or outside interests as Goth, and individual followers of Lolita fashion may listen to a wide variety of music including regular pop and rock.
In Japan, Goth is a minor subculture with few followers, partly because the emphasis upon visual identity in Japanese youth culture makes other factors such as music and literature less important signifiers and perhaps partly because Christianity is a minor religion here. In Japan, people who have heard the term "Goth" usually assume that it is simply a contraction of "Gothic Lolita",[citation needed] except for the Goths themselves, who strongly emphasize the differences. Likewise, some non-Japanese observers assume that "Gothic Lolita" is the Japanese version of "Goth", purely on the similarities in fashion.[citation needed]
Previously in Tokyo, the largest "goth" club events, such as "Tokyo Dark Castle", would also attract a noticeable proportion of Gothic Lolita customers. However, since 2005 their numbers have dwindled and such events now primarily attract more typical goth, industrial and metal music fans.[citation needed] Concerts of visual kei themed bands are often attended by many Lolitas, but conversely, few goths.
The styles for Gothic Lolita
Lolita fashion draws much of its inspiration from Rococo, Victorian-style and Edwardian fashion and often aims to imitate the look of Victorian porcelain dolls. Gothic Lolita applies the aesthetics of Gothic fashion to the childlike, pretty Lolita fashion. The word Gothloli comes, quite naturally, from a combination of Lolita and Gothic fashion.[1]
Gothic Lolita is the best-known of the various "Lolita" looks. Other categories include "Classic Lolita", which is often more mature-looking and contains more muted colors and floral prints and "Sweet Lolita" which is identified by childish pastel colors and cute prints.
Gothic Lolita style is usually a combination of black and white, often black with white lace and typically decorated with ribbons and lace trims. Skirts are knee length and may have a crinoline or petticoat to add volume. As in mainstream Japanese fashion, over-knee socks or stockings are popular. White or black tights are also common. Child-like shoes or boots such as Mary Janes complete the look. Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular with Gothic Lolitas and designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves and/or high-necked blouses. [2]
Some additions may include mini top hats, parasols, and lace headdresses, which resemble wide, elegantly decorated headbands. Other popular Lolita headgear are ribbons, lace or bows, an alice band with a bow or sometimes even a bonnet. Hair is sometimes curled, or a curled wig is worn to complete the porcelain doll look. Blonde and black are the most popular hair colors, though as the fashion continues to develop, other colors (such as brown and red) are increasing in popularity.
Lolita outfits may be accessorized with other props like handbags, small backpacks and purses, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes, as well as conspicuous pocket books, pocket watches, and hat boxes. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals are also common, and some brands make special "gothic" teddy bears out of black leather or PVC. Some Lolitas own Super Dollfies or other ball-jointed dolls and carry them when wearing the style, often going so far as to dress them to match
Gothic Lolita is the best-known of the various "Lolita" looks. Other categories include "Classic Lolita", which is often more mature-looking and contains more muted colors and floral prints and "Sweet Lolita" which is identified by childish pastel colors and cute prints.
Gothic Lolita style is usually a combination of black and white, often black with white lace and typically decorated with ribbons and lace trims. Skirts are knee length and may have a crinoline or petticoat to add volume. As in mainstream Japanese fashion, over-knee socks or stockings are popular. White or black tights are also common. Child-like shoes or boots such as Mary Janes complete the look. Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular with Gothic Lolitas and designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves and/or high-necked blouses. [2]
Some additions may include mini top hats, parasols, and lace headdresses, which resemble wide, elegantly decorated headbands. Other popular Lolita headgear are ribbons, lace or bows, an alice band with a bow or sometimes even a bonnet. Hair is sometimes curled, or a curled wig is worn to complete the porcelain doll look. Blonde and black are the most popular hair colors, though as the fashion continues to develop, other colors (such as brown and red) are increasing in popularity.
Lolita outfits may be accessorized with other props like handbags, small backpacks and purses, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes, as well as conspicuous pocket books, pocket watches, and hat boxes. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals are also common, and some brands make special "gothic" teddy bears out of black leather or PVC. Some Lolitas own Super Dollfies or other ball-jointed dolls and carry them when wearing the style, often going so far as to dress them to match
History of terminology used by English language fandom
Among English language fandom, the term Elegant Gothic Lolita was originally used to describe a sub-set of Lolita fashion that was either all black, or mostly black with white accents. However, there are many subsets within 'Gothic Lolita,' including, but not limited to amarori (sweet lolita), shirorori (white lolita), dark lolita, kurorori (black lolita), punk lolita, country lolita. Black and white lolitas wear all black and white respectively, sweet lolitas wear pastels, oftentimes pink or blue, country lolitas wear gingham and/or fruit prints and often have little straw hats or straw purse/basket accessories, punk lolitas are - well, punk plus lolita looks and so forth. There are also the people noted as 'gothic lolita' but not quite in a catagory. Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) a term coined by Mana-sama (Moi dix Mois, ex-Malice Mizer, creator of clothing line Moi meme Moitie). It is like Gothic Lolita but more elegant; hence, the name. It is a more mature version. The male 'counter-part' to EGL is EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat). It is very tailored and stream-lined, being in mostly black and white. However, the term Gothloli (gosurori) is used in Japan to describe the entire subculture, and includes non-lolita style fashion. It is often mistakenly said in the West that Mana-sama created the Gothic Lolita movement. He did not. He simply popularized it. He began Moi meme Moitie when no one made the clothes he wanted to wear.
Gothic Lolita (Introduction to )
Gothic Lolita or "GothLoli" (ゴスロリ, gosurori?, sometimes alternatively (though incorrectly) "Loli-Goth") has two definitions. The term "Gothic and Lolita" is used by the Japanese to describe a sub-culture of teenagers who wear a wide range of fashions. It is used by English language sources mainly to describe a specific subset of Lolita fashion.
Musical styles
As the genre of gothic rock contains sub-genres whose boundaries overlap, it is difficult to identify musical characteristics that are common to all gothic rock. Nonetheless, certain musical styles from early English gothic rock have remained common, such as the guitar tone. In gothic rock, the guitar tone is usually processed with electronic effects. A clean or warmly overdriven guitar sound is processed through chorusing, flanging, analog delay, and/or dense reverb, resulting in a timbre that resembles those used by Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure.
As well, gothic rock has a characteristic guitar playing style. Gothic rock guitar playing takes its downstroke playing style from punk, and emphasizes angular melodic lines instead of thick chords. Minor keys and minor mode melodies are prevalent, but major keys are also used. The Phrygian mode, with a flattened second scale degree contributes to the gothic sound with its "haunting" and dissonant mood. Gothic rock songs are typically mixed so that there is a heavy bass sound, which creates a moody and gloomy atmosphere.
Gothic rock often uses repetitive snare drum snap to propel the beat, either a real drum beat or, later on, usually a drum machine beat. The metronomic snare drum sound can be first heard on Iggy Pop's The Idiot. It continues on in Joy Division's songs, Gary Numan's early music, on early Cure CDs (beginning with Seventeen Seconds) and early Sisters of Mercy recordings. More sophisticated variations of the snare drum snap are used by Kevin Haskins in Bauhaus's music.
In the 1990s, some bands in the gothic genre wrote songs with a more hard rock feel, such as the Sisters of Mercy's Vision Thing album, and Fields of the Nephilim, Rosetta Stone, London After Midnight, and The Wake.
As well, gothic rock has a characteristic guitar playing style. Gothic rock guitar playing takes its downstroke playing style from punk, and emphasizes angular melodic lines instead of thick chords. Minor keys and minor mode melodies are prevalent, but major keys are also used. The Phrygian mode, with a flattened second scale degree contributes to the gothic sound with its "haunting" and dissonant mood. Gothic rock songs are typically mixed so that there is a heavy bass sound, which creates a moody and gloomy atmosphere.
Gothic rock often uses repetitive snare drum snap to propel the beat, either a real drum beat or, later on, usually a drum machine beat. The metronomic snare drum sound can be first heard on Iggy Pop's The Idiot. It continues on in Joy Division's songs, Gary Numan's early music, on early Cure CDs (beginning with Seventeen Seconds) and early Sisters of Mercy recordings. More sophisticated variations of the snare drum snap are used by Kevin Haskins in Bauhaus's music.
In the 1990s, some bands in the gothic genre wrote songs with a more hard rock feel, such as the Sisters of Mercy's Vision Thing album, and Fields of the Nephilim, Rosetta Stone, London After Midnight, and The Wake.
Third generation (c. 1995 to the present) for Gothic Rock
In the 1990s, some of the influential 1980s "first generation" bands were still performing. At the same time, North American bands such as Switchblade Symphony (released by the Cleopatra label) and London After Midnight (released by Metropolis Records label in the USA) began releasing material. New English bands Included Children on Stun, All Living Fear, Vendemmian and Rosetta Stone. Other popular goth acts to emerge in the 1990s included The Crüxshadows, The Last Dance, Sunshine Blind, Trance to the Sun, and The Shroud.
In Germany, many labels such as Apocalyptic Vision, Apollyon Rekordings, Deathwish Office, Dion Fortune, Glasnost Records, Hyperium Records, Sounds Of Delight, and Talitha Records released Gothic compilations and recordings from bands such as Love Like Blood, Mephisto Walz, The Merry Thoughts, Requiem In White, and Two Witches. France produced some new goth bands such as Corpus Delicti, Dead Souls Rising, and Brotherhood Of Pagans. Thanks to internet communities and broader CD distribution through such a plethora of record companies, fans of these labels and bands were no longer regionally based; the music was becoming more globalized than before.
In the mid and late 1990s, major record labels, particularly in the United States and Germany, began marketing hard rock and metal acts as "gothic" or "industrial" bands. The formerly underground subcultural aesthetic of goth was incorporated into the sound and image of several popular mainstream bands such as HIM, Marilyn Manson, and more recently Evanescence although these bands did not produce goth rock. The term "goth" became associated in the public's mind with these mainstream bands, the Hot Topic chain, the "mallgoth" aesthetic, and the Columbine school shooting, which led to the US press' subsequent vilification and scrutiny of the goth culture [2]
Internally, the gothic subculture during this time had come to be dominated more and more by dance club attendance. Goth rock adapted in turn: contemporary dance club goth followed the footsteps of beat-driven industrial music, using many of the same production techniques and aesthetics, though danceable industrial music tended to be "harder" sounding while goth was "softer" sounding, with less distortion and minimal influence from techno and metal. Much modern goth often has the evolutionary feel of New Wave music or synth pop, though there are also "old school" or "first generation" gothic rock or faux-medieval acts.
Since 2000, some fans have embraced a Death Rock revival, returning to the 1980s music and fashions of the first generation of goth. Bands such as Cinema Strange, Quidam, Antiworld, and Black Ice, along with the website Deathrock.com, have contributed to the revitalization of the first generation-style goth, and Nina Hagen even headlined the 2005 Drop Dead Festival in New York City. The Cure and Bauhaus's high-profile performances since 2004 have also helped to promote the earlier goth sound, characterized by "jangly" guitars and less club-oriented arrangement.
Though the goth rock has diminished in popularity and its record sales have fallen off, there are still events, labels, and publications supporting it. Dancing Ferret Discs, Projekt Records, and Metropolis Records are releasing goth music in the American market, new Gothic Music is being produced by European labels like Strobelight Records, while the label Cherry Red has been reissuing early goth rock recordings in Europe.
In Germany, many labels such as Apocalyptic Vision, Apollyon Rekordings, Deathwish Office, Dion Fortune, Glasnost Records, Hyperium Records, Sounds Of Delight, and Talitha Records released Gothic compilations and recordings from bands such as Love Like Blood, Mephisto Walz, The Merry Thoughts, Requiem In White, and Two Witches. France produced some new goth bands such as Corpus Delicti, Dead Souls Rising, and Brotherhood Of Pagans. Thanks to internet communities and broader CD distribution through such a plethora of record companies, fans of these labels and bands were no longer regionally based; the music was becoming more globalized than before.
In the mid and late 1990s, major record labels, particularly in the United States and Germany, began marketing hard rock and metal acts as "gothic" or "industrial" bands. The formerly underground subcultural aesthetic of goth was incorporated into the sound and image of several popular mainstream bands such as HIM, Marilyn Manson, and more recently Evanescence although these bands did not produce goth rock. The term "goth" became associated in the public's mind with these mainstream bands, the Hot Topic chain, the "mallgoth" aesthetic, and the Columbine school shooting, which led to the US press' subsequent vilification and scrutiny of the goth culture [2]
Internally, the gothic subculture during this time had come to be dominated more and more by dance club attendance. Goth rock adapted in turn: contemporary dance club goth followed the footsteps of beat-driven industrial music, using many of the same production techniques and aesthetics, though danceable industrial music tended to be "harder" sounding while goth was "softer" sounding, with less distortion and minimal influence from techno and metal. Much modern goth often has the evolutionary feel of New Wave music or synth pop, though there are also "old school" or "first generation" gothic rock or faux-medieval acts.
Since 2000, some fans have embraced a Death Rock revival, returning to the 1980s music and fashions of the first generation of goth. Bands such as Cinema Strange, Quidam, Antiworld, and Black Ice, along with the website Deathrock.com, have contributed to the revitalization of the first generation-style goth, and Nina Hagen even headlined the 2005 Drop Dead Festival in New York City. The Cure and Bauhaus's high-profile performances since 2004 have also helped to promote the earlier goth sound, characterized by "jangly" guitars and less club-oriented arrangement.
Though the goth rock has diminished in popularity and its record sales have fallen off, there are still events, labels, and publications supporting it. Dancing Ferret Discs, Projekt Records, and Metropolis Records are releasing goth music in the American market, new Gothic Music is being produced by European labels like Strobelight Records, while the label Cherry Red has been reissuing early goth rock recordings in Europe.
Second generation (c. 1985–c. 1995) for Gothic Rock
In the UK, goth bands became more popular and the subculture grew and broadened. Throughout the 1980s, there was much cross-pollination between the European goth subcultures, the Death Rock movement, and the New Romantic (New Wave) movement. The rise in popularity of alternative rock music in the mid-1980s was mirrored by the rise of gothic rock, most notably in the form of the seminal goth rock bands, The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim (1984), a new version of Christian Death (1985), The Mission (1986), and Mephisto Walz (c.1987) founded by former Christian Death composer / guitarist Barry Galvin (alias Bari Bari). Galvin defined the dark, droning style of Christian Death on the album Atrocities, the songs of which he composed and later transferred to the Mephisto Walz repertoire.
By 1985, the post-punk era was giving way to new musical styles, and many of the first generation gothic groups disbanded or changed their style. The Sisters of Mercy's debut album First and Last and Always (1985) cracked the British top ten, which showed the important influence that this 'first generation' goth band was having on the second generation. Vocalist Andrew Eldritch's voice earned him the moniker "the Godfather of Goth", and the bands' use of a drum machine (along with fellow Leeds residents March Violets) was innovative for the goth scene. The Three Johns and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (also Leeds-based bands) used drum machines as well, which became much more common during the second generation (drum machines continued to be common in goth music in the 2000s).
During the second wave of goth, the term and the style became noticed in mainstream British publications like The Face and the NME. Goth fans developed fanzines, and goth clubs began to spring up in imitation of London's Batcave. The 1983 vampire-genre film "The Hunger", starring David Bowie, featured an appearance by Bauhaus, which helped to cement the relationship between glam, horror, goth and mainstream. 4AD recording artists such as Clan of Xymox (who had a mainstream hit with "Imagination"), Dead Can Dance, and the Cocteau Twins got US college radio airplay, and 'first generation' acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees became the goth scene's de facto spokespeople to the mainstream press. Others, such as Southern Death Cult and Death Cult evolved (see The Cult).
Several goth magazines were published, such as PropagandaGoth zines split their direction in much the same way that the scene itself did. Earlier magazines such as Permission were allied to the punk roots of goth and tended to veer towards industrial music, while later magazines such as Carpe Noctem focused more on the lace-and-poetry romantic sound.
By 1987, gothic groups such as Disappointed a Few People (Montreal 1986) and Masochistic Religion started to emerge in Canadian cities such as Toronto and Montreal. Masochistic Religion included the singer from Armed and Hammered, the guitarist from technicolour rain coats and a member from Ichor. Toronto band Exovedate signed with German record label Pandaimonium Records, and their third CD "Seduced by Illusions" received airplay in Australia, Russia, the US, Brazil, Guam, Germany, and Canada.
By this time, a cross-pollination with the growing global post-industrial scene was developing. The blending of goth and 'industrial' music scenes and subcultures can be heard in the music of Dog Pile, Crash Worship, and Skinny Puppy. Depeche Mode's blend of goth, industrial, and pop and synthesized sounds influenced many goth musicians. Synthpop acts such as Camouflage, Secession, Celebrate the Nun, and Red Flag followed Depeche Mode's lead, and eventually gothic music found its way into club music, and synthpop began appearing in goth rock.
By 1985, the post-punk era was giving way to new musical styles, and many of the first generation gothic groups disbanded or changed their style. The Sisters of Mercy's debut album First and Last and Always (1985) cracked the British top ten, which showed the important influence that this 'first generation' goth band was having on the second generation. Vocalist Andrew Eldritch's voice earned him the moniker "the Godfather of Goth", and the bands' use of a drum machine (along with fellow Leeds residents March Violets) was innovative for the goth scene. The Three Johns and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (also Leeds-based bands) used drum machines as well, which became much more common during the second generation (drum machines continued to be common in goth music in the 2000s).
During the second wave of goth, the term and the style became noticed in mainstream British publications like The Face and the NME. Goth fans developed fanzines, and goth clubs began to spring up in imitation of London's Batcave. The 1983 vampire-genre film "The Hunger", starring David Bowie, featured an appearance by Bauhaus, which helped to cement the relationship between glam, horror, goth and mainstream. 4AD recording artists such as Clan of Xymox (who had a mainstream hit with "Imagination"), Dead Can Dance, and the Cocteau Twins got US college radio airplay, and 'first generation' acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees became the goth scene's de facto spokespeople to the mainstream press. Others, such as Southern Death Cult and Death Cult evolved (see The Cult).
Several goth magazines were published, such as PropagandaGoth zines split their direction in much the same way that the scene itself did. Earlier magazines such as Permission were allied to the punk roots of goth and tended to veer towards industrial music, while later magazines such as Carpe Noctem focused more on the lace-and-poetry romantic sound.
By 1987, gothic groups such as Disappointed a Few People (Montreal 1986) and Masochistic Religion started to emerge in Canadian cities such as Toronto and Montreal. Masochistic Religion included the singer from Armed and Hammered, the guitarist from technicolour rain coats and a member from Ichor. Toronto band Exovedate signed with German record label Pandaimonium Records, and their third CD "Seduced by Illusions" received airplay in Australia, Russia, the US, Brazil, Guam, Germany, and Canada.
By this time, a cross-pollination with the growing global post-industrial scene was developing. The blending of goth and 'industrial' music scenes and subcultures can be heard in the music of Dog Pile, Crash Worship, and Skinny Puppy. Depeche Mode's blend of goth, industrial, and pop and synthesized sounds influenced many goth musicians. Synthpop acts such as Camouflage, Secession, Celebrate the Nun, and Red Flag followed Depeche Mode's lead, and eventually gothic music found its way into club music, and synthpop began appearing in goth rock.
First generation (c. 1979–c. 1985)
The first generation of gothic rock bands were not all associated with the goth subculture. Fans of bands in the genre were also associated with styles such as punk rock, post-punk, and new wave. Some of the late-1970s and 1980s gothic rock bands created their own record labels or released their material through independent record labels (such as Beggars Banquet Records); however, like punk rock, this was not a general rule, as some bands in the movement also appeared on major labels.
Most of the early gothic rock groups were from England, although some bands were from other countries; Christian Death came from Los Angeles, The Virgin Prunes from Ireland, and Xmal Deutschland was from Germany.
[edit] United Kingdom
Two early post-punk groups labeled "gothic" were Joy Division[4] and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979. Between 1978 and 1979 these bands developed a haunting sound and dark-themed lyrics. Killing Joke and John Lydon's Public Image Ltd also influenced the development of the goth sound.
Siouxsie & the Banshees' output from their debut album The Scream (1978) to Nocturne (1983) were influential on the goth sound. Joy Division was short-lived, due to vocalist Ian Curtis' suicide. Nevertheless their two albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980) were influential in the gothic scene. The remaining members of Joy Division became New Order, whose first album Movement (1981) continued Joy Division's gothic style; this early New Order sound was influential to some gothic bands (for example, Danse Society and Clan of Xymox). New Order subsequently turned into a New Wave/dance group.
As the gothic label began to stick to Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979, Bauhaus (originally called Bauhaus 1919) then came along. Remember, it's blood and bones that really makes the modern goth man. They started out wearing plain jeans and t-shirts, but after appearing on the same bill as Gloria Mundi (who looked and sounded gothic yet remained unknown since nobody ever saw them), Bauhaus ended up having a make over, dressing in all black and wearing make up. Strongly influenced by English Glam rock such as David Bowie and T. Rex, Bauhaus's debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (released in late 1979) is considered to be the beginning of gothic rock proper.[5] Despite their legacy as progenitors of gothic rock, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and the The Cure chiefly self-identified as punk acts at the time.[6]
In 1980 and 1981, Danse Society, Theatre of Hate, March Violets, Play Dead, and The Sisters of Mercy were formed. UK Decay, a late-1970s punk band, influenced the emerging gothic movement of the early 1980s. The first written reference to Goth, as a derivation of the punk scene, was by Steve Keaton in an article about UK Decay, entitled 'The face of punk gothique', for UK rock weekly Sounds. Published on February 21, 1981, Keaton writes that the band’s vocalist, Abbo “once told me that they had a fascination with death (it’s OK he was laughing at the time.) Even so, their imagery is striking and the music is thick with Victorian menace – and Banshee/Antz spice. Could this be the coming of Punk Gothique? With Bauhaus flying in on similar wings could it be the next big thing?” Keaton concludes: “Punk Gothique? It’s looking just fine.” In February 1981, Abbo from UK Decay used the term gothic to describe the style of bands such as Danse Society and Play Dead. A year later, Ian Astbury of the band Southern Death Cult used the term "goths" to describe Sex Gang Children's fans. However, the term "goth" did not become a label for a movement or "scene" until 1983[1]. The emerging scene was described as "positive punk" in a February 1983 article in the NME magazine. Journalist Richard North described Bauhaus and Theatre of Hate as "the immediate forerunners of today's flood" (which included Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, and Blood & Roses) and declared, "So here it is: the new positive punk, with no empty promises of revolution, either in the rock'n'roll sense or the wider political sphere. Here is only a chance of self awareness, of personal revolution, of colourful perception and galvanisation of the imagination that startles the slumbering mind and body from their sloth."[7]
The lead singer of the punk band The Damned, Dave Vanian (a former grave digger), sometimes dressed up as a vampire, which may have influenced the gothic fashion stylings of Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus and The Cure. Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure have retained the goth imagery in their on-stage appearance and albums throughout most of their careers, but their music has explored other related genres. After the Nocturne album, Siouxsie's songs became more synthesizer-based and alternative. Bauhaus were more consistently gothic in their on-stage appearance and musical styles until their break-up in 1983. Some members of Bauhaus had a side project called Tones on Tail which continued during the mid 1980s, releasing gothic-styled music influenced by The Beach Boys experimental Pet Sounds album and 1970s drug subculture psychedelic music.
By 1982, gothic rock had become a broader sub-culture, with the emergence of bands such as Sex Gang Children, Southern Death Cult, Skeletal Family, Specimen, and Alien Sex Fiend. Clubs such as the Batcave in London contributed to gothic rock's broader scope by providing a venue for the goth scene. The Batcave aimed at reinventing David Bowie's vision of glam rock, but with a darker, horror-influenced twist. Gothic rock band members, hangers-on, and fans socialized at the Batcave, which became the prototype goth club environment. By 1984, Batcave DJs were playing Siouxsie, The Cramps, Sweet, Specimen, Eddie Cochran, and Death Cult. By 1983, the British press began commenting on the gothic rock scene gaining at the Batcave and similar venues.
[edit] US and Canada
The US Deathrock scene, centred in Los Angeles, California, began in the late seventies with bands such as Christian Death, 45 Grave, T.S.O.L, Voodoo Church, Kommunity FK, Burning Image, and Theatre of Ice. When Christian Death were recording their debut album Only Theatre of Pain in 1982, frontman Rozz Williams had acknowledged and been influenced by the UK goth scene, and been influenced by some of the bands. Christian Death attracted listeners in Europe (especially in France) and started touring Europe and England in 1984. The band's subsequent albums Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes were more goth-influenced, and also showed borrowings from surrealism and the dada movement. US Punk blues pioneers the Gun Club also started playing in Europe and England, often as the opening act for the Sisters of Mercy.
[edit] Europe and Australia
Goth was as much a continental European phenomenon as it was British or American. At the same time bands like Bauhaus and Christian Death were forming in those countries, bands with dark, gothic musical styles, such as Geisterfahrer (1979), Xmal Deutschland (1980), Leningrad Sandwich (1980), Malaria! (1981), Belfegore (1982), Girls Under Glass (1986) and Pink Turns Blue (1986), were being formed in Germany. Belgium's Siglo XX released a number of albums since 1980. Amsterdam-based Clan of Xymox formed in 1983, and The Essence from Rotterdam followed in 1984. By 1992, Germany developed a large wave and gothic festival, the yearly Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig. In Finland, the first, the most influental and most popular gothic rock band were Musta Paraati (Black Parade in English), which was active in 1982-84. The first Finnish band to release a gothic rock album in English was Russian Love, founded in 1986.
In Australia and New Zealand, Nick Cave's second band, The Birthday Party (c. 1979 and later moving to London), and other post-punk collectives like Foetus Productions (also called The Features/The Foetals, c.1979) influenced the development of gothic music, fashion, and aesthetics. New Zealand's film archive New Zealand Film Archive site states that Foetus Productions operated "...as an audio-visual company from 1980-1989,...part of a small global 'industrial' culture network, which included Throbbing Gristle in Britain, and Survival Research Laboratories on the West Coast of America. They released seven albums, designed clothing, wrote manifestos, made films, and challenged the parameters of music and art, blending pop, industrial and philosophical methodologies. Their music attacked advertising's promulgation of perfect images and lithe bodies using images of medical misadventure and mutation." In 2004, Foetus Productions were still exhibiting their controversial depictions of deformed human beings in museums.
Most of the early gothic rock groups were from England, although some bands were from other countries; Christian Death came from Los Angeles, The Virgin Prunes from Ireland, and Xmal Deutschland was from Germany.
[edit] United Kingdom
Two early post-punk groups labeled "gothic" were Joy Division[4] and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979. Between 1978 and 1979 these bands developed a haunting sound and dark-themed lyrics. Killing Joke and John Lydon's Public Image Ltd also influenced the development of the goth sound.
Siouxsie & the Banshees' output from their debut album The Scream (1978) to Nocturne (1983) were influential on the goth sound. Joy Division was short-lived, due to vocalist Ian Curtis' suicide. Nevertheless their two albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980) were influential in the gothic scene. The remaining members of Joy Division became New Order, whose first album Movement (1981) continued Joy Division's gothic style; this early New Order sound was influential to some gothic bands (for example, Danse Society and Clan of Xymox). New Order subsequently turned into a New Wave/dance group.
As the gothic label began to stick to Joy Division and Siouxsie & the Banshees in 1979, Bauhaus (originally called Bauhaus 1919) then came along. Remember, it's blood and bones that really makes the modern goth man. They started out wearing plain jeans and t-shirts, but after appearing on the same bill as Gloria Mundi (who looked and sounded gothic yet remained unknown since nobody ever saw them), Bauhaus ended up having a make over, dressing in all black and wearing make up. Strongly influenced by English Glam rock such as David Bowie and T. Rex, Bauhaus's debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (released in late 1979) is considered to be the beginning of gothic rock proper.[5] Despite their legacy as progenitors of gothic rock, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and the The Cure chiefly self-identified as punk acts at the time.[6]
In 1980 and 1981, Danse Society, Theatre of Hate, March Violets, Play Dead, and The Sisters of Mercy were formed. UK Decay, a late-1970s punk band, influenced the emerging gothic movement of the early 1980s. The first written reference to Goth, as a derivation of the punk scene, was by Steve Keaton in an article about UK Decay, entitled 'The face of punk gothique', for UK rock weekly Sounds. Published on February 21, 1981, Keaton writes that the band’s vocalist, Abbo “once told me that they had a fascination with death (it’s OK he was laughing at the time.) Even so, their imagery is striking and the music is thick with Victorian menace – and Banshee/Antz spice. Could this be the coming of Punk Gothique? With Bauhaus flying in on similar wings could it be the next big thing?” Keaton concludes: “Punk Gothique? It’s looking just fine.” In February 1981, Abbo from UK Decay used the term gothic to describe the style of bands such as Danse Society and Play Dead. A year later, Ian Astbury of the band Southern Death Cult used the term "goths" to describe Sex Gang Children's fans. However, the term "goth" did not become a label for a movement or "scene" until 1983[1]. The emerging scene was described as "positive punk" in a February 1983 article in the NME magazine. Journalist Richard North described Bauhaus and Theatre of Hate as "the immediate forerunners of today's flood" (which included Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, and Blood & Roses) and declared, "So here it is: the new positive punk, with no empty promises of revolution, either in the rock'n'roll sense or the wider political sphere. Here is only a chance of self awareness, of personal revolution, of colourful perception and galvanisation of the imagination that startles the slumbering mind and body from their sloth."[7]
The lead singer of the punk band The Damned, Dave Vanian (a former grave digger), sometimes dressed up as a vampire, which may have influenced the gothic fashion stylings of Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus and The Cure. Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure have retained the goth imagery in their on-stage appearance and albums throughout most of their careers, but their music has explored other related genres. After the Nocturne album, Siouxsie's songs became more synthesizer-based and alternative. Bauhaus were more consistently gothic in their on-stage appearance and musical styles until their break-up in 1983. Some members of Bauhaus had a side project called Tones on Tail which continued during the mid 1980s, releasing gothic-styled music influenced by The Beach Boys experimental Pet Sounds album and 1970s drug subculture psychedelic music.
By 1982, gothic rock had become a broader sub-culture, with the emergence of bands such as Sex Gang Children, Southern Death Cult, Skeletal Family, Specimen, and Alien Sex Fiend. Clubs such as the Batcave in London contributed to gothic rock's broader scope by providing a venue for the goth scene. The Batcave aimed at reinventing David Bowie's vision of glam rock, but with a darker, horror-influenced twist. Gothic rock band members, hangers-on, and fans socialized at the Batcave, which became the prototype goth club environment. By 1984, Batcave DJs were playing Siouxsie, The Cramps, Sweet, Specimen, Eddie Cochran, and Death Cult. By 1983, the British press began commenting on the gothic rock scene gaining at the Batcave and similar venues.
[edit] US and Canada
The US Deathrock scene, centred in Los Angeles, California, began in the late seventies with bands such as Christian Death, 45 Grave, T.S.O.L, Voodoo Church, Kommunity FK, Burning Image, and Theatre of Ice. When Christian Death were recording their debut album Only Theatre of Pain in 1982, frontman Rozz Williams had acknowledged and been influenced by the UK goth scene, and been influenced by some of the bands. Christian Death attracted listeners in Europe (especially in France) and started touring Europe and England in 1984. The band's subsequent albums Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes were more goth-influenced, and also showed borrowings from surrealism and the dada movement. US Punk blues pioneers the Gun Club also started playing in Europe and England, often as the opening act for the Sisters of Mercy.
[edit] Europe and Australia
Goth was as much a continental European phenomenon as it was British or American. At the same time bands like Bauhaus and Christian Death were forming in those countries, bands with dark, gothic musical styles, such as Geisterfahrer (1979), Xmal Deutschland (1980), Leningrad Sandwich (1980), Malaria! (1981), Belfegore (1982), Girls Under Glass (1986) and Pink Turns Blue (1986), were being formed in Germany. Belgium's Siglo XX released a number of albums since 1980. Amsterdam-based Clan of Xymox formed in 1983, and The Essence from Rotterdam followed in 1984. By 1992, Germany developed a large wave and gothic festival, the yearly Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig. In Finland, the first, the most influental and most popular gothic rock band were Musta Paraati (Black Parade in English), which was active in 1982-84. The first Finnish band to release a gothic rock album in English was Russian Love, founded in 1986.
In Australia and New Zealand, Nick Cave's second band, The Birthday Party (c. 1979 and later moving to London), and other post-punk collectives like Foetus Productions (also called The Features/The Foetals, c.1979) influenced the development of gothic music, fashion, and aesthetics. New Zealand's film archive New Zealand Film Archive site states that Foetus Productions operated "...as an audio-visual company from 1980-1989,...part of a small global 'industrial' culture network, which included Throbbing Gristle in Britain, and Survival Research Laboratories on the West Coast of America. They released seven albums, designed clothing, wrote manifestos, made films, and challenged the parameters of music and art, blending pop, industrial and philosophical methodologies. Their music attacked advertising's promulgation of perfect images and lithe bodies using images of medical misadventure and mutation." In 2004, Foetus Productions were still exhibiting their controversial depictions of deformed human beings in museums.
1970s: glam rock, punk rock and post-punk
Into the 1970s and musicians produced very strong foundations for gothic rock, which would begin to come to life at the end of the decade. Glam rock became popular during the early part of the '70s; Marc Bolan and T.Rex (whose songs were later played at The Batcave and covered by Bauhaus) were at the forefront of the movement.
David Bowie's 1974 effort - "Diamond Dogs".
David Bowie's 1974 effort - "Diamond Dogs".
Perhaps the most influential of all was David Bowie, both musically and visually. With his character "Ziggy Stardust", Bowie brought in an androgynous look which would later be adopted by many bands. His music around this period was particularly melodramatic and had some dark themes. Bowie described his 1974 album "Diamond Dogs" as "gothic" [citation needed], and the album "Low" has many similarities to the genre. He also produced some albums which would have an effect on the genre such as Lou Reed's Transformer and Iggy Pop's The Idiot and Lust for Life.
In the mid to late 1970s, the genre which gothic rock was directly descended from began to occur: the London punk rock movement, with the Sex Pistols as its most prominent exponent. This was where the first wave of gothic rock musicians who would become associated with the gothic rock genre began to emerge; Siouxsie and the Banshees members were part of the infamous Bromley Contingent and, in fact, the band featured Sid Vicious early on. The Damned also first came to light here, with their frontman Dave Vanian who is largely credited with bringing the gothic image to pop culture.
Members of The Lords of the New Church, fronted by Stiv Bators, played with notable punk rock groups during the 1970s including The Dead Boys, The Damned and Sham 69. Joy Division, themselves largely influenced by the punk rock movement, also appeared during the later part of the 1970s; their two albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer anticipated gothic rock of the 1980s (though Joy Division themselves were a post-punk band). The Psychedelic Furs, in a similar sense to Joy Division, were a post-punk act who significantly influenced and anticipated bands (especially The Sisters of Mercy) who were a part of this genre in the '80s.
David Bowie's 1974 effort - "Diamond Dogs".
David Bowie's 1974 effort - "Diamond Dogs".
Perhaps the most influential of all was David Bowie, both musically and visually. With his character "Ziggy Stardust", Bowie brought in an androgynous look which would later be adopted by many bands. His music around this period was particularly melodramatic and had some dark themes. Bowie described his 1974 album "Diamond Dogs" as "gothic" [citation needed], and the album "Low" has many similarities to the genre. He also produced some albums which would have an effect on the genre such as Lou Reed's Transformer and Iggy Pop's The Idiot and Lust for Life.
In the mid to late 1970s, the genre which gothic rock was directly descended from began to occur: the London punk rock movement, with the Sex Pistols as its most prominent exponent. This was where the first wave of gothic rock musicians who would become associated with the gothic rock genre began to emerge; Siouxsie and the Banshees members were part of the infamous Bromley Contingent and, in fact, the band featured Sid Vicious early on. The Damned also first came to light here, with their frontman Dave Vanian who is largely credited with bringing the gothic image to pop culture.
Members of The Lords of the New Church, fronted by Stiv Bators, played with notable punk rock groups during the 1970s including The Dead Boys, The Damned and Sham 69. Joy Division, themselves largely influenced by the punk rock movement, also appeared during the later part of the 1970s; their two albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer anticipated gothic rock of the 1980s (though Joy Division themselves were a post-punk band). The Psychedelic Furs, in a similar sense to Joy Division, were a post-punk act who significantly influenced and anticipated bands (especially The Sisters of Mercy) who were a part of this genre in the '80s.
Pre-history for Gothic Rock
1960s: psychedelic rock
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.
Some of gothic rock's earliest influences emerged in the 1960s[citation needed], the most significant of which was psychedelic rock act The Doors[citation needed]. In fact the Doors are the first known band to have been referred to as "gothic rock" by the music media in 1967.[2]
Front man Jim Morrison's dark and enigmatic aura would be a particularly strong influence on later front men such as Ian Astbury, Rozz Williams and Wayne Hussey[citation needed]. The album "Strange Days" in particular helped influence the sound of post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen which were highly important to the emergence of gothic rock.[citation needed]
By the late 60s, more important acts had come into being in the United States; amongst them were The Velvet Underground with their 1967 debut "The Velvet Underground and Nico", which had had a dark sound and gloomy themes. The majority of early gothic rock bands of the 80s took influence from them (including Siouxsie & the Banshees and Christian Death). [citation needed]
Along with The Velvets' psychedelic-tinged garage rock, acts from Detroit had started to gain attention for their live shows and nihilistic-themed music, such as The Stooges and Alice Cooper Group. The Stooges in particular followed on from the ground work set by The Doors and The Velvet Underground and would prove to be influential on later prominent acts associated with gothic rock, such as The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy and Killing Joke.[citation needed]
The gothic aesthetic, as well as references to gothic writers and symbolism (such as the colour black, death, and insanity) and minor chord progressions, were widely utilized in 1960s music.[citation needed] Popular songs that contain such references include The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus", which mentions Edgar Allan Poe, and The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", which describes the significance of this colour. Some artists at times intentionally sang in a way depicting themselves as a sinister character, as Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane did in "Somebody to Love".[3]
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.
Some of gothic rock's earliest influences emerged in the 1960s[citation needed], the most significant of which was psychedelic rock act The Doors[citation needed]. In fact the Doors are the first known band to have been referred to as "gothic rock" by the music media in 1967.[2]
Front man Jim Morrison's dark and enigmatic aura would be a particularly strong influence on later front men such as Ian Astbury, Rozz Williams and Wayne Hussey[citation needed]. The album "Strange Days" in particular helped influence the sound of post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen which were highly important to the emergence of gothic rock.[citation needed]
By the late 60s, more important acts had come into being in the United States; amongst them were The Velvet Underground with their 1967 debut "The Velvet Underground and Nico", which had had a dark sound and gloomy themes. The majority of early gothic rock bands of the 80s took influence from them (including Siouxsie & the Banshees and Christian Death). [citation needed]
Along with The Velvets' psychedelic-tinged garage rock, acts from Detroit had started to gain attention for their live shows and nihilistic-themed music, such as The Stooges and Alice Cooper Group. The Stooges in particular followed on from the ground work set by The Doors and The Velvet Underground and would prove to be influential on later prominent acts associated with gothic rock, such as The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy and Killing Joke.[citation needed]
The gothic aesthetic, as well as references to gothic writers and symbolism (such as the colour black, death, and insanity) and minor chord progressions, were widely utilized in 1960s music.[citation needed] Popular songs that contain such references include The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus", which mentions Edgar Allan Poe, and The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", which describes the significance of this colour. Some artists at times intentionally sang in a way depicting themselves as a sinister character, as Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane did in "Somebody to Love".[3]
Intorduction to Gothic rock
Gothic rock (sometimes called goth rock or simply goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. Originally bands from the genre were referred to as positive-punk[1] by the music press and had strong ties to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk styles.
The genre itself was defined as a separate movement from punk rock during the early 1980s. Some gothic rock bands were more art and introspectively based than punk rock. Gothic rock dealt with dark themes and intellectual movements such as gothic horror, Romanticism, existential philosophy, and nihilism. Notable gothic rock bands include Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission.
Largely separate from other genres of alternative rock of the 1980s, gothic rock gave rise to a broader goth subculture that includes goth clubs, goth fashions, and goth-oriented magazines.
The genre itself was defined as a separate movement from punk rock during the early 1980s. Some gothic rock bands were more art and introspectively based than punk rock. Gothic rock dealt with dark themes and intellectual movements such as gothic horror, Romanticism, existential philosophy, and nihilism. Notable gothic rock bands include Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission.
Largely separate from other genres of alternative rock of the 1980s, gothic rock gave rise to a broader goth subculture that includes goth clubs, goth fashions, and goth-oriented magazines.
About Gothic language
The Gothic language is an extinct East Germanic language, spoken by the Goths. It is the the Germanic language with the earliest attestation, primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th century copy of a 4th century Bible translation. It is divided into three subgroupes: Western Gothic, Eastern Gothic and Crimean Gothic.
Gothic painting
Gothic painting
Painting in a style that can be called "Gothic" did not appear until about 1200, or nearly 50 years after the start of Gothic architecture and sculpture. The transition from Romanesque to Gothic is very imprecise and not at all a clear break, but we can see the beginnings of a style that is more somber, dark and emotional than in the previous period. This transition occurs first in England and France around 1200, in Germany around 1220 and Italy around 1300.
Painting (the representation of images on a surface) during the Gothic period was practiced in 4 primary crafts: frescos, panel paintings, manuscript illumination and stained glass. Frescoes continued to be used as the main pictorial narrative craft on church walls in southern Europe as a continuation of early Christian and Romanesque traditions. In the north stained glass was the art of choice until the 15th century. Panel paintings began in Italy in the 13th century and spread throughout Europe, so by the 15th century they had become the dominate form supplanting even stained glass. Illuminated manuscripts represent the most complete record of Gothic painting, providing a record of styles in places where no monumental works have otherwise survived. Painting with oil on canvas does not become popular until the 15th and 16th centuries and was a hallmark of Renaissance art.
Painting in a style that can be called "Gothic" did not appear until about 1200, or nearly 50 years after the start of Gothic architecture and sculpture. The transition from Romanesque to Gothic is very imprecise and not at all a clear break, but we can see the beginnings of a style that is more somber, dark and emotional than in the previous period. This transition occurs first in England and France around 1200, in Germany around 1220 and Italy around 1300.
Painting (the representation of images on a surface) during the Gothic period was practiced in 4 primary crafts: frescos, panel paintings, manuscript illumination and stained glass. Frescoes continued to be used as the main pictorial narrative craft on church walls in southern Europe as a continuation of early Christian and Romanesque traditions. In the north stained glass was the art of choice until the 15th century. Panel paintings began in Italy in the 13th century and spread throughout Europe, so by the 15th century they had become the dominate form supplanting even stained glass. Illuminated manuscripts represent the most complete record of Gothic painting, providing a record of styles in places where no monumental works have otherwise survived. Painting with oil on canvas does not become popular until the 15th and 16th centuries and was a hallmark of Renaissance art.
Gothic sculpture
Gothic sculpture
Gothic sculptures were born on the wall, in the middle of the 12th century in Île-de-France, when Abbot Suger built the abbey at St. Denis (ca. 1140), considered the first Gothic building, and soon after the Chartres Cathedral (ca. 1145). Prior to this there had been no sculpture tradition in Ile-de-France—so sculptors were brought in from Burgundy, who created the revolutionary figures acting as columns in the Western (Royal) Portal of Chartres Cathedral (see image)—it was an entirely new invention, and would provide the model for a generation of sculptors.
The French ideas spread. In Germany, from 1225 at the Cathedral in Bamberg onward, the impact can be found everywhere. The Bamberg Cathedral had the largest assemblage of 13th century sculpture, culminating in 1240 with the Bamberg Rider, the first equestrian statue in Western art since the 6th century. In England the sculpture was more confined to tombs and non-figurine decorations (which can in part be blamed on Cistercian iconoclasm). In Italy there was still a Classical influence, but Gothic made inroads in the sculptures of pulpits such as the Pisa Baptistery pulpit (1269) and the Siena pulpit. A late mastework of Italian Gothic sculptures is the series of Scaliger Tombs in Verona (early-late 14th century).
Gothic sculpture evolved from the early stiff and elongated style, still partly Romanesque, into a spatial and naturalistic feel in the late 12th and early 13th century. Influences from surviving ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were incorporated into the treatment of drapery, facial expression and pose.
Dutch-Burgundian sculptor Claus Sluter and the taste for naturalism signaled the beginning of the end of Gothic sculpture, evolving into the classicistic Renaissance style by the end of the 15th century.
Gothic sculptures were born on the wall, in the middle of the 12th century in Île-de-France, when Abbot Suger built the abbey at St. Denis (ca. 1140), considered the first Gothic building, and soon after the Chartres Cathedral (ca. 1145). Prior to this there had been no sculpture tradition in Ile-de-France—so sculptors were brought in from Burgundy, who created the revolutionary figures acting as columns in the Western (Royal) Portal of Chartres Cathedral (see image)—it was an entirely new invention, and would provide the model for a generation of sculptors.
The French ideas spread. In Germany, from 1225 at the Cathedral in Bamberg onward, the impact can be found everywhere. The Bamberg Cathedral had the largest assemblage of 13th century sculpture, culminating in 1240 with the Bamberg Rider, the first equestrian statue in Western art since the 6th century. In England the sculpture was more confined to tombs and non-figurine decorations (which can in part be blamed on Cistercian iconoclasm). In Italy there was still a Classical influence, but Gothic made inroads in the sculptures of pulpits such as the Pisa Baptistery pulpit (1269) and the Siena pulpit. A late mastework of Italian Gothic sculptures is the series of Scaliger Tombs in Verona (early-late 14th century).
Gothic sculpture evolved from the early stiff and elongated style, still partly Romanesque, into a spatial and naturalistic feel in the late 12th and early 13th century. Influences from surviving ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were incorporated into the treatment of drapery, facial expression and pose.
Dutch-Burgundian sculptor Claus Sluter and the taste for naturalism signaled the beginning of the end of Gothic sculpture, evolving into the classicistic Renaissance style by the end of the 15th century.
Introduction to Gothic Arts
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that lasted about 350 years. It began in France out of the Romanesque period in the mid-12th century, concurrent with Gothic architecture found in Cathedrals. By the late 14th century, it had evolved towards a more secular and natural style known as International Gothic, which continued until the late 15th century, where it evolved into Renaissance art. The primary Gothic art mediums were sculpture, panel painting, stained glass, fresco and illuminated manuscript.
Gothic art told a narrative story through pictures, both Christian and secular.
The earliest Gothic art was Christian sculptures, born on the walls of Cathedrals and abbeys. Christian art was often typological in nature (see Medieval allegory), showing the stories of the New Testament and the Old Testament side by side. Saints' lives were often depicted. Images of the Virgin Mary changed from the Byzantine iconic form to a more human and affectionate mother, cuddling her infant, swaying from her hip, and showing the refined manners of a well-born aristocratic courtly lady.
Secular art came in to its own during this period with the rise of cities, foundation of universities, increasing trade, a money-based economy and a bourgeois class who could afford to patronize the arts and commission works resulting in a proliferation of paintings and illuminated manuscripts. Increased literacy and a growing body of secular vernacular literature encouraged the representation of secular themes in art. With the growth of cities, trade guilds were formed and artists were often required to be members of a painters' guild—as a result, because of better record keeping, more artists are known to us by name in this period than any previous, some artists were even so bold as to sign their names.
Gothic art told a narrative story through pictures, both Christian and secular.
The earliest Gothic art was Christian sculptures, born on the walls of Cathedrals and abbeys. Christian art was often typological in nature (see Medieval allegory), showing the stories of the New Testament and the Old Testament side by side. Saints' lives were often depicted. Images of the Virgin Mary changed from the Byzantine iconic form to a more human and affectionate mother, cuddling her infant, swaying from her hip, and showing the refined manners of a well-born aristocratic courtly lady.
Secular art came in to its own during this period with the rise of cities, foundation of universities, increasing trade, a money-based economy and a bourgeois class who could afford to patronize the arts and commission works resulting in a proliferation of paintings and illuminated manuscripts. Increased literacy and a growing body of secular vernacular literature encouraged the representation of secular themes in art. With the growth of cities, trade guilds were formed and artists were often required to be members of a painters' guild—as a result, because of better record keeping, more artists are known to us by name in this period than any previous, some artists were even so bold as to sign their names.
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