When we first ran across this denim vest by artist James Jirat Patradoon, our minds were completely blown. We had to find out as much as we could about the piece. Thankfully, the artist shed some light on this project.
"For a while now, I've been frustrated with the restrictions of illustration in conveying my ideas so I've been trying to break out of that pigeonhole. This work is the first prototype of a series I'm working on with my friend and ex-housemate, designer Aaron Kuswara, who is a lot better at working with type than I am.
I've always been interested in the narrative possibilities of costume, fashion, logos, and symbols, this work is basically a poser's revenge, a big 'fuck you' to music elitism, and anyone who ever told you what you should or shouldn't like.
It's an exploration of the music industry's relationship with fashion and branding, I intend to raise questions about the power of a brand, what a musician or a band means beyond the context of just their music, what they represent culturally or emotionally to people. When one becomes aware of this power, and re-arranges and recontextualises these symbols, it can open up new meanings and questions.
Music also has the ability to mark personal growth or change, life stages, tastes, subcultures etc. I grew up during the late nineties and early noughites when it was pretty common to just be labeled one thing, punk, goth, homie, etc. depending one what you listened to. Why limit yourself to being so one dimensional?
I also have a vested interest in exposing the hypocrisy of punk, it seems the movement (if you could call it that) was so much about 'Fuck everything, do what you want EXCEPT listen to hip hop EXCEPT go to university EXCEPT get a nine to five job EXCEPT eat meat.' I began to see it as a mini fascist regime, and the negative reactions from music fans on both sides about this project just go to prove this. That was exactly my intention."
To see more of his work, check out James Jirat Patradoon's tumblr.
