HIPSTER

HIPSTER:

"Hipster is a slang term that first appeared in the 1940s, and was revived in the 2000s and 2010s to describe types of young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with interests in indie rock, independent film, magazines such as Vice and Clash, and websites like Pitchfork Media.

In earlier contexts (2000s), hipsters were also referred to as scenesters..."

It was during my trip to New York, last Spring, when I first came across term "HIPSTER".

It wasn't only the word, it was the phenomenon in general that was new to me.

That was the firs time I traveled that far and the first time I realized how unified people and their opinions are, no matter where you go. Especially when it comes to art, design or people who work the media industry in general.

It wasn't only that unification that cought my attention. It was also the pretentiousness, online omnipresence and superiority of those people that shocked me the most.

All of the sudden it felt like everyone, everywhere in the world is an artist of some (the same) kind and that artism and creativeness can be best expressed in the same, very strictly described way. The only possible way.

Everyone now is a little bit of a charismatic rebel, quiet introvertive artist, creative media designer, adventurous traveler, fashion designer, fashion model, fashion photographer, fashion inventor, fashion re-inventor, fashion victim . . . visual victim !

Is it just me or is it something bigger? Does it affect me?

How can I distinguish modern hipsters from fashion victims or simple snobs that were always out there?

How does that affect me? How does that affect everybody else? Is it worth our attention at all?

It affect everybody on a very small scale as hipsters take over with their pretentiousness all the nice places and spaces in town.

It becomes quite big problem once we realized what they did to photographic cameras. Hipsters turned them into the most desirable fashion accessory on earth. Somthing (ideally a plastic lomo) that could be worn instead of a handbag or a pair of shades . . .

But that's still fine. Up until the moment when they not only decorate themselves with holgas and dianas - they also start using them!

Now, everyone is using them. Now, it's photography. Now it's picture + taken with a fashion accessory = fashion photography.

And that's when it becomes my problem in a big way.

So I ask people, I make interviews, take notes and pictures, blend in, stand out and read.

And that's how a hipster - the visual victim first comes into shape, enters both; my vocabulary and my concieusness. Becomes an idea for my shoot and an interesting subject to investigate with my symposium project.

For further details please go to the older posts.