Dissertation

CHAPTER 1
THE 1970S & THE SEX PISTOLS
The Post-World War II party was over in the
‘70s and society had a more financially difficult
time. The ‘70s saw an emerging array of exciting
new genres of music such as disco, funk, smooth
jazz and punk rock.
Punk was created as a response to the hedonist
ideologies of the ‘60s. The most evocative punk
band of the ‘70s, were the Sex Pistols. The Sex
Pistols (2012) stated that they were ‘Disillusioned
by the bloated progressive-rock and hippie music
scene of the time.’ Their most well-known singles
were, Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen
and their only album, Never Mind The Bollocks.
The British artist, Jamie Reed, designed these
record covers. Reid’s photomontages and
energetic work echoed the Sex Pistols anger,
anti-establishment beliefs and do it yourself
attitude. Jon Savage (Poynor, 2016) is quoted
in the Design Observer article, stating that
punk montage is ‘in the act of dismembering
and reassembling the very images that were
supposed to keep you down and ignorant, it
was possible to counteract the violence of the
spectacle and to refashion the world around you.’
Savages statement echoes the atmosphere and
spirit of the punk movement and reasoning
behind the graphic design response during the
‘70s. The punk photomontages are similar to
that of the Russian photomontages in the
1920s by artists like Vladimir Mayakovsky.
In the book, Graphic Design, A History author
Stephen J. Eskilson (2012, 196) stated ‘In Russia,
it was hoped that the startling juxtapositions of
photomontage could result in works that disrupted
the conventional passive reception of photographs
and unleashed the revolutionary potential of
modern images.’ This is relatable to Reid’s work
as his work was a juxtaposition to the formal and
respectable images of Queen Elizabeth II, this
treatment of a British Royal was uncommonly
seen before and caused outrage with the general
public. The Sex Pistols (2012) stated, ‘No one had
ever spoken up so publicly about them. The nation
was up in arms.’ The best example of this would
be Reid’s record artwork for God Save the Queen.
Jamie Reid was not the sole architect of the
punk visual style but he is most well-known and
important in establishing punk’s visual identity
and defining an era. Reid’s style of artwork is
known worldwide. His style of artwork was
organically grown from the Punk music genre
and is still a visual trend used today.
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