“I’ve mastered my AESTHETICS” - Jay Z
Aesthetics has reemerged as a buzzword of the internet's current zeitgeist. We’ve been here before, but things have greatly changed from then to now. Not to sound like a lost cause holding onto my adolescence but in the early 2010’s when tumblr reigned supreme - aesthetics were king. Tumblr was my introduction, initiation and a masterclass in aesthetics. It was the first time I truly understood the value of aesthetics in creative expression.
Let me paint the picture. You're a teenager scrolling through social media and you start seeing all these photographs of Lana Del Rey. You’re just tapping into hip-hop nostalgia so you have no reference or understanding of her 60’s doll-like aesthetic. It's striking, but maybe not so iconic in your mind as yet. The video’s for the first two records were good but they hadn’t quite fully resonated yet. Then she drops the National Anthem music video, AND THERE IT WAS. The nostalgic film grain, the 60’s fashion references, the re-imagining of JFK and Jackie O’s marriage. The monologue, the romantic colour grading, the story and the lyrics. It was a feast for the eyes and ears and over a decade later when I watch it I still feel something.
Lana wore a flower crown in a photoshoots and a video of hers and suddenly they were everywhere and nowhere all at once. The year was 2013 and I DIY’d flower crowns and wore them to my hearts content (what was I thinking? 😂). The answer is I wasn’t thinking, the package being presented was so evocative I could only feel.
Thats the power of aesthetics.
Moreover I believe my first true introduction to a curated aesthetic was through Mariah Carey in her Emancipation of Mimi era, specifically the We Belong Together music video. I was too young to understand the significance of the aesthetics at play but till this day. Those music videos mean to me as much as the Disney masterpiece collection. Mariah was a modern day princess in luxurious chateau’s, she was gorgeous, glamorous and whimsical. In this case it was the silk, the stone, the architecture, the wardrobe. To this very day, I love French architecture. Funny enough, MC may be the subconscious reason I wanted to go to Paris so badly.
In both examples, the songstresses used accompanying visuals to strengthen their audiences' connection to their art by making them feel something. Feel is the keyword. It's what separates good from great when it comes to aesthetics.
Great aesthetics have potential to contextualize understanding and create connections.
Think RENAISSANCE, the album and world tour. Think of all that silver, the sparkle and all of those mirrors. Beyoncé made a house album with heavy disco references and had us moving and shaking like the disco-balls that cascaded from club ceilings half a century ago. A commemorative project that was created to celebrate the people. Beyoncé’s iconic ‘you are the visuals’ is so real that when she came to my city, social media was in an uproar trolling about all the people in town for the “tinfoil convention”. Prior to the tour not once did Bey enforce a dress code. All her fandom needed was the album and the select few visuals released with it to communicate, inspire and create a moment. It was a celebration, everyone was there to enjoy themselves, party and SHINE!
The provocative, edgy and innovative teen drama (not for teens) EUPHORIA is another example of aesthetics empowering the art and the audience’s connection. Visually, Euphoria is in a lane of its own. Alexa Demie’s character Maddy has dedicated fashion fan-pages, and every new look of her’s from the show spawns countless make-up tutorials and internet analysis. It’s not just because Maddy is “pretty” it's because Maddy’s confident, unapologetic, bold and presents as someone that’s fearless. Fashion and her presentation is deeply personal to her and something the audience realizes she’s curated over time. It’s self-actualization.
Great aesthetics are a projection’s.
They should come from within, their genesis should be in a feeling.
Your ‘aesthetic’ should work for you and not the other way around.
The first girl to scream on a track, KELIS was y2k real before we really knew what that was. Before her milkshake was bringing all the boys to the yard she bleached her fro platinum blonde and dyed the tips and her brows vibrant colours. I mean can you say “I don’t give a f*&% or I’m THAT GIRL” any louder? If you go back and look at the photos from her kaleidoscope era you either think she’s really cool or absolutely crazy.
Either way, you felt something.
Aesthetics can bridge the gaps, answer questions, create lore, and act as reference points between artists and their audiences.
So, the next time you come across a trend, a bubbling aesthetic or subculture that you want to participate in ask yourself if it requires your appreciation, participation or both? Most aesthetics aren’t trendy or, rather they shouldn't be (strictly) trendy. Aesthetics should be driven by interests, inspiration, how you feel and your lifestyle. You shouldn’t be chasing an aesthetic you should be living in it. Remember that the next time you type in “_________ aesthetic” into pinterest, instagram or tiktok looking for inspiration & add your own to the pile.
Authenticity drives the best aesthetics.
Genuine interest makes aesthetics immersive.
The best aesthetics make you feel something.
Trends are as tired and unsustainable as overconsumption.
Keep that in mind for the next time you’re creating, getting dressed or looking for inspiration. Input and output functions are as easy as copy and paste. With the advent of AI, senselessly replicating what we see has become the norm in many ways. So as the sensitive creative this is a reminder to feel first. Integrate that into your art and aesthetics and you will create things that deeply connect with your audience, customers and collaborators for decades, maybe even centuries if you’re lucky.
Thank you for reading Love/Hate~Create, with JouuJoux. This post is public so feel free to share it.
Share
Comment two times in your childhood or adolescence by an aesthetic package that still makes you feel strongly today.
xx. JouuJoux
