CTS SPREADS

CLASSES CULTURES CLASSES

CT
S

CULTURES

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
page

3-4 5-8 9-10 11-12

Design Rationale London v Sri Lanka The Middle Class My Culture

1 CONTENTS

CONTENTS

13-14 15-16 17-18 19-20 21-22

The Working Class Hear Their Words The Upper Class Portraits of The World References

CONTENTS 2

DESIGN RATIONALE DESIGN RATIONALE DESIGN RATIONALE

DE

This portfolio explores the concept of cultures, both worldwide and the
internal class system within England. I articulate this through my visual essay and
blog posts. I have based my visuals on everyone’s personalised culture and how we
still remain connected as a part of the human race. I utilise contrasting images of
Sri Lanka and London to highlight the differences our home has to our far away
neighbors’. A pair of portraits of my step-mother - who influenced my personal
culture heavily. A mass of words directly quoted from the refugees covered in my
essay and the tribes within Perry’s series. And finally, a series of illustrative por-
traits of three different people: a Karo boy smiling, a Syrian refugee woman crying,
and a Japanese Geisha - three different people that have distinct symbols of their

Sculture in their appearance. I have chosen to layout my work in the style of a cul-
tural arts magazine allowing my visual essay to weave in and out of my blog posts,
thus relating everything back to my essay, while also showing the connection my
blog posts share with my running theme of culture. I have chosen to use two main
fonts, my title font: Luna, and my body font: Playfair Display. I chose Luna as it is a
Ibold upper-case sans-serif font with several varying weight sizes that allow me to
achieve different effects through typography. I chose Playfair Display as it is a serif
body font that offsets my title font well and plays into my visual essay. The colour
scheme I have chosen is that of pastel colours, I have chosen yellow, blue and pink
as I believe these colours allow me to maintain a stream of happiness throughout
my work even though it is covering a meaningful and serious topic. The refugees
that I cover within my essay note the happiness and love they’ve experienced as
well as the oppression they’ve faced. I have attempted to portray this through my
light playful colour scheme that accompanies such heavy topics.

G Nrationale

3 DESIGN RATIONALE

“The message I want you to give to the world is
that we refugees are human, like everyone, like
every guy and girl living in Germany...
...but I am Syrian.
“That is the only
difference.

Sarah Ezzat Mardini, Syrian refugee.

*All photos and illustrations are done by me, Eleanor Hubbard, unless stated otherwise. 4

LONDON LONDON LONDON

5 LONDON

SRI LANKA

SRI LANKA SRI LANKA

SRI LANKA 6

SRI LANKA SRI LANKA SRI LANKA

7 SRI LANKA

LONDON

LONDON LONDON

LONDON 8

ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

Grayson Perry by Channel 4

GRAY

son

9 ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

MIDDLE CLASS

i n one of our CTS lectures, we were intro-
duced to a TV series hosted by Grayson
Perry exploring the world of the British
Class System: “All In The Best Possible Taste”
(2012). We began by exploring middle-class taste.
Perry’s aim behind this tv series was to produce
a series of tapestries depicting each class sys-
tem’s personal taste.

MIDDLE CLASS The middle class is arguably the most divided a heavy value placed on culture over the size of MIDDLE CLASS
group of the classes themselves. As Perry (2012) your paycheck.
states in his series, they have their own ‘tribes’.
He ventures to Kingshill in Kent to a new hous- Your taste in clothes, language, what you name
ing development that is quintessentially middle your children etc. (All In The
class with every house boasting Range Rov- Best Possible Taste, 2012) is
ers and showroom-esque decor. They are very what shapes you.
prideful in their representation: agonizing over
every detail of their lives. This paranoia is a per- This tribe has far less anxiety
fect example of middle-class anxiety a and rather have a house that
phenomenon that is extremely present in this is a jigsaw. Famous artwork
section of British society. Everything must be a graces the walls, antiques
show. and fine china are precisely
placed around the house. Al-
‘God forbid’ they ever look though, the way they present
working-class. This para- their house and showcase
noia may stem from them their cultured interests is
yearning for everyone to still very important to them.
see how hard they have Within the series, an old-
worked to pull themselves er couple opens their house to Perry and boast
out of the struggling that they have bought some ornaments from TK-
working class label. They MAXX – a store that the Kingshill middle-class
have a need to confirm would not dream of shopping in due to its asso-
their divide. However, ciation with the working-class. It is very import-
not push it too far as to be ant that the people they invite into their home
seen as ‘flashy’. Therefore, acknowledge their cultural interests and validate
as stated in Perry’s series their taste.
(2012) the Range Rover is a staple middle-class
symbol, it shows you can afford a nice car howev- The concept of imagined communities is prev-
er it is not so outlandish that you would become alent within the middle-class, their need to fit
the topic of conversation. The middle-class live in amplify their signals being sent out to oth-
in a world of signals. They utilise semiotics in ers. However, with these cultural signals to their
their everyday life. Cultural signs get emitted imagined communities comes with a lot of para-
through these acts (Hall. S, 2015) however, these noia and stress thus highlighting what Kobena
cultural signs are only relevant to their specific Mercer, a British historian of art, states in the
community - having a Range Rover may signal book ‘Imagined Communities’ (1995) that this
middle class in Kingshill, however, it would sig- feeling of belonging is much more of a dream
nal upper class in a third world country. rather than actually attainable within an imag-
ined community.
Perry then ventured into Tunbridge Wells to
interact with another tribe within the mid-
dle-class. However, in Tunbridge Wells, there is

Within the middle-class, you have several divid-
ed imagined communities. The way they dress,
present themselves and which signals they send
out through their taste really depends on their
geographic location, however, once formed they
all seem to share the same taste as their specific
tribe of the middle-class around them.

MIDDLE CLASS 10

GOT HOWMY

OPEN
YOUR

11 EYES

OPENED My step-mother,
Rebecca, is one of the
EYES main reasons I have
been able to experi-
ence so many different
cultures from such a
young age. Being Swiss
herself, she brought
a new world into my
childhood.

CULTURES TO

DIFFERENT 12

WORKING CLASS

WORKING CLASS W ithin this lecture, we delved into the There was also a big emphasis on tattoos all WORKING CLASS
world of the working class. Dr. Nela over the men. They are very family orientated
Millic made a point that the reason we and have meaning behind them – conforming
initially started looking at the working-class to the working-class emphasis on community.
taste is that it is what many if not most of our This is yet another juxtaposition from the mid-
class would relate to. Although I would associ-
ate my upbringing to working-class, I can agree dle-class. Working-class
with Nela’s statement – many of my peers are focus on decorating
middle-class, and as someone from a work- themselves and attempt-
ing-class background, this is quite noticeable. ing to stand out, rather
As I am working-class my parents cannot afford than spending a lot of
to help me in the way a lot of my peers can and money on their house
I find it shocking how freely money can come as ‘more people will see
to a student. This is not necessarily a bad thing. your body than your
It is just something that is very apparent in the house’ (All In The Best
divide. It is intimidating. Possible Taste, 2012).

The working-class have a bad Part of the reason there
reputation as ‘feckless chavs’ is such a divide is many
( Jones. O, 2011 p.94) among middle-class people have
many of the upper classes. This ‘pulled themselves’ from
is something I feel very much the ‘dregs’ of the working-class life and now
so in my own life, my step fa- repulse at it. However, for many working-class
ther’s family is very upper people, they still strive to become middle-class
middle-class and I feel like an by living vicariously through their children.
outsider when attending any Sending their children to university in attempts
kind of event with them, I al- to give them a middle-class future. Many work-
most feel smaller than them as ing-class parents see the headstart in life that
I cannot boast these branded their middle-class peers had and wish they had
clothes and spend money so their headstart.
frivolously. There is a huge di-
vide between the classes as the Perry attended a night out with the working
poor are blamed for being poor, rather than that class girls of Sunderland, boasting their tribal
blame being directed towards the policies that attire of short dresses, heels, false eyelashes and
keep them unemployed ( Jones. O, 2011). Thus big hair. It is unapologetically flashy and glam-
working-class is a tribe that is inherently proud orous. The banes of middle-class anxieties and
of itself. The world feels as if it is working-class paranoia do not exist, there are no painstaking
vs the rest. They are more of a community that is hours spent attempting to make yourself look
not so divided. They are unapologetically them- effortless.
selves.
The working-class is a tribe that relies less
Grayson Perry traveled to Sunderland, an in- heavily on the semiotics of cultural signals than
herently working-class area. He initially ac- middle-class, although they are still very pres-
quainted himself with the males of Sunderland ent in their culture, they just isn’t as necessary
by attending a Subaru car-meet. These flashy for the tribe’s survival. I hold a personal pride in
cars are a way for working-class men to express being working-class, although, it’s much like an
themselves without seeming weak. The expen- oxymoron I’m proud to be from a working-class
sive renovation of old cars is a way to share love, background but also ashamed of it as I view
they are invested in these cars. The juxtapo- being middle-class as the ‘step up’. However, I
sition of working-class wanting flashy cars vs believe the working-class come closest to the
middle-class wanting understated cars shows dream of connection from imagined communi-
the difference in these classes. ties than the other classes (Mercer. K, 2011).

13 WORKING CLASS

ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

WORK Tattoo by Zihee_Tattoos

ING

CLASS

ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE 14

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less

HEARD 16

ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

Lord Bath by SWNS Group

UPPER

CLASS

17 ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

UPPER CLASS

i n the final episode of ‘All In The Best Possi-
ble Taste’ (2012) Perry visited the Cotswolds
to explores what inspires upper-class taste.

Big manor houses with yachts and butlers, is

what one would assume the upper-class of Brit-

ain would boast, however, it is, in fact, the com-

plete opposite. The upper-class of Britain tend

to rely heavily on the taste formed by their an-

cestors. Hand-me-down clothes from mothers

and grandmas are passed throughout the gen-

erations, old cars that match their old houses

are used rather than that of flashy sports cars.

Perry made a point of asking a countess which

car, out of a Citroen and a Bentley would belong However, these massive estates are also ex-
to a posher person, to which the answer she tremely hard to run – many of these old families
gave was the Citron as she stated: “the posher are running out of money and cannot afford to
the person the less they have to prove” (All In
The Best Possible Taste, even pay for the utilities
2012). of these manners. Per-
ry visited a family who

UPPER CLASS This statement resounds lived on the bare mini- UPPER CLASS
throughout the up- mum in order to afford
per-class taste, it seems the upkeep of their fam-
the older the better. Old ily home. The woman
sofas and tapestries, ev- who lived there stated to
erything a little bit frayed live comfortably in these
and worn over the many manners you would be
generations living within spending upwards of half
the walls of the old man- a million a year in utili-
or houses. Everything is ty bills (All In The Best
passed down and nothing Possible Taste, 2012).
is thrown out. The idea of Perry also ventured to
flashiness is repugnant to them, the mantra of Bath to Longleat house where the current res-
‘appropriateness’ is adapted fiercely, the way ident, Lord Bath, had been boycotting the idea
you present yourself must be to the utmost of upper-class taste for a long time. He consid-
appropriateness for the occasion. Designer ers himself part of the Bohemian upper-class.
clothes are not a necessity like they are for the Lord Bath painted the walls of the manner with
middle-class, but rather a gentlemanly appear- conceptual and graphic paintings of his own
ance is of much higher value to them. This idea upbringing. He is boycotting traditional up-
of old worn down belongings and appropriate- per-class taste for his time in ownership of the
ness, however, juxtaposes the initial idea behind house, as no one can tear down his artwork. He
these big Georgian houses and the original up- dispels the belief that all upper-class taste must
per-class taste: 15th Century aristocrats build- be that of their ancestors. There are several
ing these mighty buildings graced the walls with modern upper-class people that also share this
gold and flashy ornaments they were not always Bohemian belief.

these cobweb ridden caskets of memories, they
were new things and shiny they wanted to be The upper-class is a struggling tribe that is liv-
flashy. The vulgarness of your own taste can ing in the shadows of their ancestors, although
only be seen by others rather than yourself (All modest they also wear their family tree proud
like antlers, as Perry notes (All In The Best Pos-
In The Best Possible Taste, 2012).
sible Taste, 2012). They are creatures of habit

and although many have an expendable income

they are still extremely nostalgic in their taste,

there are not many flashy new buys even when

needed, such as a leaky kitchen tap being fixed.

The notion of ‘we’ll make do’ resounds through-

out this tribe allowing them to carry on the tra-

ditions of old.

UPPER CLASS 18

LOVE LOVELOVE

we

ARE

ONE

19 LOVE

RESPECT We are one. Although
we are different we
are all a part of the
human race. Here are
three illustrations of
three different people
from three different
cultures and three
different age groups
experiencing three
different lives but still
on our shared planet.

RESPECT RESPECT

RESPECT 20

REF
BLOGS

Hall. S (2012) “This Means [BOOK] London:
Laurence King
Jones. O This, This Publishing: Second Edition.
(2011)
Means That: A RNew York: Verso Books

User’s Guide

F Eto Semiotics” [BOOK]
E
“Chavs: The
Demonization
of the Working
Class”
Mardini. E.S “Love Story” [INTERVIEW] Interviewed by Breitz. C, 18
(2015) October Available: https://vimeo.

com/163977053

[Accessed: 1 May 2018]

National “Imagined [BOOK] London: The Beacon Press
Touring Communities”
Exhibitions.
(1995) N C“All InThe Best
Perry, G.
(2012) Possible Taste
with Grayson
Perry, G. Perry”
(2012) [TV SERIES] (19 June 2012) Channel 4.
[Accessed: 22 January 2018]

“All In The Best [TV SERIES] (5 June 2012) Channel 4.

Possible Taste

with Grayson [Accessed: 15 January 2018]

Perry”

Perry, G. “All In The Best [TV SERIES] (12 June 2012) Channel 4.
(2012) Possible Taste [Accessed: 9 January 2018]
with Grayson
Perry”

ES

21

REFERENCES

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REFERENCES 22