According to Heller, mainstream design and underground design is being described as what Arzensek said in Underground vs Mainstream Cultural production. Arzensek said “Mainstream culture is one whose values, language, and ways of behaving are imposed on a subordinate culture or cultures through economic or political power. (Arzensek 2) and “Underground movement, A culture in which the values expressed and promoted are in potential or actual opposition to those of the dominant culture, sometimes amounting to a wholesale rejection of that culture.” (Arzensek 2). Under both author’s words, mainstream design is a type of design that would use the majority taste of language, behavior, and culture to grab the attention of the audience. Meanwhile, underground design is the opposite of mainstream design. Underground design is using something that’s not very well known and considered new. However, mainstream design is considered as the category of designs under branches of underground design. It’s because every style that comes up in the market is started as underground, and it would take their breed of followers throughout the period of time. Some underground designs would succeed. It will dominate the market, and turn to be the taste of the majority. However, when certain mainstream designs stay for too long, they will become a standard. People will get bored, and they will explore something new, and they will look for underground design again, the process will repeat. So I would say that mainstream and underground design is a cycle of design. 

I think my final project would be about the taste of aesthetic changes throughout 150 years. It would focus on what is the taste before, how it changes, why it changes, and what is the taste now. Also in how the changing in taste changes design and how it changes people. 

I have read a chapter from The Racial Order. It was chapter 8, Desmond & Emirbayer-Aesthetics. It’s about how colonialism and imperialism provide an idea of European Orientalism (It’s from a film called Edward Said on Orientalism ) and developed the idea of white supremacy. And how “white” turned out to be the mainstream design. Such as the paintings from the 1800s are always spotlighting the white painting such as “Jean-Leon Gerome’s The Great Bath at Bursa”, photographs are only picturing the white, how luxury brands are using white models, how cosmetics companies are promoting white skin tone as beauty, how Hollywood only accept actors that are white and only sponsor movies that are using white actors as the main character. However, the underground design kicks in, people stand up for their culture. And it changed the taste of society. There was pop music, hip-hop, colored people started to be the cover of magazines, posters…etc. Like how it changes society around throughout generations. 

Film: Edward Said on Orientalism 

Emirbayer, Mustafa, and Matthew Desmond. The Racial Order. The University of Chicago Press, 2015. Arzenšek, Martin, and Dr. Arjo Klamer. “UNDERGROUND VS. MAINSTREAM CULTURAL PRODUCTION- VALORIZING THE UNDERGROUND AND ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH ON UNDERGROUND ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC MOVEMENT.” Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, June 2016, p. 39, https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/34609/Arzensek.pdf.

According to Heller, the concept of mainstream vs. underground is relevant in contemporary design because mainstream culture depends on the ideas of underground culture, to stay fresh and popular. It’s almost as if it were a life cycle in advertising or stages of evolution. The reason for that is because underground culture always starts off as unpopular and different from what is mainstream. However, as time goes on and what is mainstream loses popularity, the weird and different gains popularity. Soon, what was underground becomes popular enough that it becomes mainstream. If it is very popluar, it may even become the standard, until it’s popularity begins to die down and the people start looking for something new again.

The “Be Stupid” ad campaign by Anomaly New York, for Diesel is a good example of advertising influenced by underground culture. Underground culture goes against the norms of society, making it’s followers rebels. When you take a message such as “be stupid” is that not rebellious? Additionally, the campaign isn’t simply saying “be stupid”, but elaborating on what being stupid can do for you in a positive way. In other words, they are changing the way people perceive what “stupid” means. What was always looked down upon, is now being questioned if it is all a completely bad thing. In one headline, it says “Smart sees what there is. Stupid sees what there could be.” implying that being stupid allows for imagination and breeds creativity.

I’m not sure in what ways this campaign has directly influenced the mainstream, but I do think it has further enforced the idea that stupidity and fun are undeniably connected with one another. When you look at the images that are paired with the headlines, you can’t help but laugh and smile at them. I would even goes as far as to say that we might be envious of the people in those scenes, and wish it was us, because it looks like fun. Even if it’s not very fun and it is a bad idea, we know that we’ll have a story to tell, as another headline suggests. That’s probably the biggest impact it will have on the mainstream. The reassurance that even if you do something stupid, it’ll be okay, because it’s cool and you’ll have a story to tell.

I think how mainstream and underground relevant has adapted to contemporary design is formed by society, we have adapted with new humors, new ideas and concepts. Both mainstream and underground relevant have developed and represent various categories in advertising. As what most today’s artists say, ‘steal is the way of art’, meaning that our idea, our concept is not original but influenced or inspired by the origins. Therefore, we artists create remakes of that topic. This is how the advertising industry or mass markets get their intention of stealing ideas to gain profit towards their advantage. Taking from a source labeled ‘The Ecstasy of Influence A Plagiarism”, Jonathan Lethem cited a quote, “All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. —John Donne” A metaphor coming from a classical concept, this practice was passed through many generations and it has yet adapted to our society. One generation passes down to another generation, as for an original concept can be drawn down to a million ideas. Though it does have its advantages and disadvantages, the advertisement industry manages to tackle this method into producing benefits and getting away with it, sometimes. 

The design that I chose, ‘amazon’ represents the dichotomy of underground mainstream because the brand is influenced by main ideas in different perspectives, such as its function/ service and symbolism/ logo. As we can imagine, Amazon is well known to be an online mass market with a smile on it. There are two things to consider, how and why the smile creates a strong platform for the brand and two the concept of the smile itself. Since amazon is a world-wide marketing brand, the smile represents a friendly connection to the audience, which is considered as mainstream because the appropriation of the brand is safe for everyone, especially for children. It does not cause any disturbance or expose any danger to the views, meaning that it is safe to advertising. Another source relating to mainstream, the publisher states, “In this article I evaluate parallels between postmodernist analysis and my positions on(1) communication and (2) methodology. I also (3) propose several hypotheses that may account for why some sociologists have embraced and others tolerate the criticism and (4) discuss the implications for the discipline of the factors involved.” It evaluates specific forms that give a mainstream a chance to tolerate society or vice versa. Amazon is one of the safest examples of mainstream because it comes across various appropriations that ranges from favorable to explicit.

To be a little off topic, I want to mention something that would best describe ‘underground relevant’ and that is ‘hentai’. It’s a genre that is close related to pornography and of course influenced by it. Coming from the ideas of japan, hentai is considered to be a mass genre that created various brands dedicated to it but the problem is about advertising. I can already imagine that it creates some discomfort for certain people due to being offensive or inappropriate. Similar to the down fall of pornography, Heller states in his article, “Pornography, once the bane of puritan society, is used by the advertising industry for edgy allure. Most of the time for ‘underground relevant’ marketing, they’re limited to demands, exposure and publications. Though the concept is potential, society has their way to sabotage these brands, leading them to a disadvantage towards advertisement. 

Source/ Cites:

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780822393214-025/html

The concept of mainstream vs. underground is relevant in contemporary design because in contemporary design there is a combination of underground ideals that also incorporates mainstream ideals. By this, the merging of both creates the ability to innovate something modern in the present day. It allows every technique. It does challenge traditional ideals but it does reflect on the current times. The designer that I would be discussing is Paula Scher and her Public Theater poster designs. Her style reflects Victorian and Constructivist ideals. Constructivism was underground to an extent. According to Underground vs. Mainstream Cultural Production-, “For instance, movements such as the Russian avant gardists and Dadaists were the result of direct opposite circumstances, specifically state revolution and world war.” (Arzenšek 39)

 By this, the style of Constructivism or any art movement were known to be underground based on their strong opposition towards mainstream ideals. Further, as stated “From the very beginning, we can argue that these movements didn’t stand a chance in retaining their “underground” status, since they were appealing to the dissatisfied masses.”(Arzenšek 39) In other words, the avant garde movements such as Constructivism that was once known to be “underground” became “mainstream”. Due to the fact that it attracted many people who already opposed the mainstream ideals that existed. As for Paula Scher and her Public Theater posters. They were meant to attract New Yorkers in a new way by shouting with type. It was meant in some way to attract not just “underground” people but “mainstream” as well. 

According to Street Theater, “I want to take populist culture and elevate it, and bring elitist culture to a populist level.” (Heller) In this case, bring all kinds of people to the Public Theater “an in-your-face-unity.”(Heller) Scher’s Public Theater posters are meant to bring unity and to design a language that brings everyone together but also create a new visual palette for the Public Theater. The underground ideals of Constructivism that lead to mainstream commonality is that it “focus on the underground as both a material and metaphorical space of movement, diversity, encounter, refuge, and political action”.(Linder, Hussey 18) Overall, the poster designs are meant to “present The Public as a dynamic but quite human institution with programs that are appealing to many different publics”(Heller), and the posters indeed reflect those themes.

CITATIONS:

Arzenšek, Martin, and Dr. Arjo Klamer. “UNDERGROUND VS. MAINSTREAM CULTURAL PRODUCTION- VALORIZING THE UNDERGROUND AND ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH ON UNDERGROUND ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC MOVEMENT.” Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, June 2016, p. 39, https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/34609/Arzensek.pdf.

Heller, Steven. “Street Theater.” vol. Vol. 50, no. Issue 3, 1995, p29. EBSCO Host, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=59d80cd1-32ff-4beb-b8c0-3dc97c79676f%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=9609220725&db=a9h.

Linder, Christoph, and Andrew Hussey. “Concepts and Practices of the Underground.” Essays on Cultural Resistance, Subversion, and Diversion, p. 18. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp6td.5.

In Steven Hellers’ short essay underground mainstream, he speaks about the relationship between mainstream and underground design and how it changes over time. I believe that Steven Heller believes it to be a cycle meaning what is now the mainstream will eventually be the underground and something from many things that is ow considered taboo or underground would eventually surface and become mainstream, which is what Steven Heller eluded to in his last paragraph citing his meeting with the designer from the progressive firm in New York and how the guy talked with passion about the design that was considered the mainstream back in the day as rebellious design that he is trying to work toward making the world recognize and use.

I plan to choose the design of apples’ iPhone to be my final project’s focal point. I believe apples iPhone design has followed the contemporary movement since day one with its designs, iPhone has always been a very simple geometric design while having no keys and a flat surface which helps the design a lot so I believe the iPhone design would be considered mainstream today.

The design of the iPhone was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision of simple modern homes which Steve Jobs was one of it is inhabitants like he said his appreciation for Eichler-style homes, instilled his passion for making sharply designed products for the mass market. “I love it when you can bring great design and simple capability to something that doesn’t cost much,” he said as he pointed out the clean elegance of the Eichlers. While I don’t believe these house designs were underground they also weren’t mainstream not what everybody wanted or dreamed of but now with the same design, an iPhone is a sign of class and prestige today for people who still care about those kinds of things. The iPhone didn’t shape the mainstream it became the mainstream, today in America whenever I go out and see people using their phones I won’t exaggerate if I said 9 out of 10 would be using an iPhone as I said earlier nowadays an iPhone is a symbol for class and prestige

Isaacson, Walter. “How Steve Jobs’ Love of Simplicity Fueled A Design Revolution.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Sept. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-steve-jobs-love-of-simplicity-fueled-a-design-revolution-23868877/.

Kifleswing, Kif Legswin. “The IPhone Decade: How Apple’s Phone Created and Destroyed Industries and Changed the World.” CNBC, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/12/16/apples-iphone-created-industries-and-changed-the-world-this-decade.html.

Rabideau, Anthony Karcz. “18 Duvet Covers That Dress Up Your Bed (And Protect Your Down Comforter Too).” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 Apr. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/article/best-duvet-covers/?sh=49e540377f0d.

    The reading seems to be about knowing what is trending or not and understanding what aspects of design are mainstream or are no longer mainstream. Corporations usually steal other people’s ideas instead of being original with their own. They don’t credit the original user and instead benefit off from something someone else started or created. This is very similar to Tik Tok trends. These trends get redone or recreated by multiple users but at the end of the day does anyone know or remember who was the originator? An example I saw explained in a YouTube Blog is high waisted jeans are now trending and are “mainstream”. Younger generations are acting like this is something new and never done before but it was actually something that was trending in the early 2000s but is now experiencing a revival for the newer generation. 

    An example of this discussed in the reading is Psychedelic design. Psychedelic design’s purpose was to incentivize sexual practices and drug usage. This design underground was trendy, hip, and edgy for things such as album covers. However, in mainstream advertisements, the Psychedelic design would be seen more as taboo. Another example discussed is pornography. Pornography is used in advertisements in a  more subliminal manner. It is like the saying “sex sells”. With the mainstream taking underground designs and using them to their own advantage, it puts the underground in a predicament of either keeping themselves unrecognized or come forward and join the mainstream but face judgment for their work.

    Based on the artist and work I choose I feel that it can be seen that Kate Moross is an underground artist that Netflix brought to the light with their Netflix Transgender Awareness Week Project. The 2020 Transgender Awareness Week Netflix commissioned them to create 10 portraits of transgender talent to be featured on the platform. The design of these pieces the vibrant colors give me Psychedelic design vibes. The subject being transgender seems to also support the statement in the reading where it is said that advertisements lean more onto one’s sexuality as an attention grabber. With the subjects all being transgender actors and actresses this seems to resonate almost the same idea to me. So it seems even today whether it on social media or advertisements mainstream and underground works seem to connect to each other to either try to benefit each other or hurt the other.

Citations:

Ballinger, C. (2021, April 02). BUYING every NOSTALGIC 2000’s toy AND TREND! Retrieved May 02, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VgcJ8ix-uU

Neely, M., & Says:, L. (2021, March 10). The miscellany news. Retrieved May 02, 2021, from https://miscellanynews.org/2021/03/10/arts/popular-tiktok-trends-boost-underground-artists-and-their-growing-music-careers/

Netflix transgender Awareness Week. (n.d.). Retrieved May 02, 2021, from https://www.katemoross.com/Netflix-Transgender-Awareness-Week

Heller thinks that the concept of mainstream vs underground because they rely on each other.  The mainstream takes from the underground, and transforms it into something acceptable to the public, whether it’s a product packaging or hobbies, the underground joins the mainstream in order to use the resources it provides and change it from the inside out  or uses satire to make fun of the mainstream.  Stefan Sameister fits in between mainstream and underground, but leaning slightly to the underground.  Sagmeister works are daring and can be controversial at times, not what the mainstream would take a chance on, the main stream wouldn’t risk profit and reputation, but Sagameister would likely take the risk.  Tibor Kalman works and philosophy has  influenced Stefan Sagmeister works, from execution to  the provocative designs.  While Kalman focuses more on social and environmental issues, Sagmeister focuses on broader things and emotional impact of their work that are considered taboo in society.  Stefan Sagmeister work would influence future designers to be more daring with their work and take more risk in order to innovate and think about their social responsibility.

McDonald, Jason K. “Embracing the Danger: Accepting the Implications of Innovation.” Educational Technology, vol. 56, no. 6, 2016, pp. 14–17. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44430502. Accessed 2 May 2021.

Barry, Bruce, and Ingrid Smithey Fulmer. “The Medium and the Message: The Adaptive Use of Communication Media in Dyadic Influence.” The Academy of Management Review, vol. 29, no. 2, 2004, pp. 272–292., www.jstor.org/stable/20159033. Accessed 2 May 2021.

Meyrowitz, Joshua. “UNDERSTANDINGS OF MEDIA.” ETC: A Review of General Semantics, vol. 56, no. 1, 1999, pp. 44–52. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42579860. Accessed 2 May 2021.

In this reading, Hellen argues the importance of knowing how relevant and irrelevant can underground design culture be in dependence on the mainstream. Corporates often use visionaries’ ideas and reshape them for their own benefit without crediting or recognizing such underground sources. Through the reading, we learn that in different stages of history. First through the Psycodellic culture that had as a purpose to incentivize sexual practices and drug usage. This indeed would be offensive as mass media production, but mainstream makes it look acceptable creating a whole new trend from the underground. These served as album covers that represented the Youth in general and had great success. These are called “alternative cultures” as they serve as a second option for their design purposes when they lack original ideas. Another example was pornography, which later began to be used in advertising in different and subliminally manners. The underground struggle for the fact that they either keep themself unrecognized or join the mainstream with original ideas that depend on the judgment of the mainstream and the impact that they can produce.

This is relevant for contemporary design as many talented and skillful designers are more often seen due to social media and communication mediums, but hardly reach the mainstream as it has stayed as it states from the reading. The designer that I’m going to use for the project was once from this underground concept. Although he has worked for recognized mainstream companies such as Apple and Google, it doesn’t mean that he’s completely part of the mainstream since he still lacks proper social recognition and his work depends on the perception of the mainstream. His imperative graffiti design has shaped mainstream into a broader view along with a different culture.

Terminology that I didn’t know and used in my essay from the reading:

Dennotational: Refers to the literal meaning of a word.

Connotational: Word that suggest a different association to its literal meaning.

Quasi-Tautological: Having some but not all the features of repetition without adding information.

Linguistic Message: A denoted description that answer the question” What is it?”

Anchorage: The trait to catch the consumer

Relay: Interpretation of an image separated fromt he meaning of the text.

Semantic: When one thing can be expressed differently and conserve the same meaning.

Pseduo- Truth: An event that can be percieved differently from what it is.

Utterance: A spoken word, statement or vocal sound.

Polysemy: The coexistence of many possible meaning for a word or phrase.