"German Graffiti"

"What harm cause not those huge draughts or pictures which wanton youth with chalk or coals draw in each passage, wall or stairs of our great houses, whence a cruel contempt of our natural store is bred in them?" -Michel Eyquem De Montaigne

Well, since the first post was on fashion, I figured I would switch it up and focus on some crazy urban artwork. I love every form of art, and I have to say, graffiti is one of my favorites :D I...love...graffiti, and I have high admiration for the ones who are so talented and bold enough not to get caught doing so (graffiti is a form of vandalism in many places, especially in the city. Which is where graffiti is huuuge.). Art should never be deemed a crime because it is not only freedom of speech, but freedom of expression. Many artists speak and show emotion through their work. I do graffiti on paper and sometimes draw it on my clothes, but i'm going to save up some money to get spraypaint and eventually start tagging buildings, haha! :D

I am also into photography, so while I was surfing the Web, I found cool pictures of graffiti painted on buildings and even trains in Berlin and other places in Germany. It's amazing what you can do with a small can of colored air, haha!

The ones displayed were completed in Berlin and Munich, which I thought looked really cool.

There is also a German graffiti artist that I absolutely adore because his work is just phenomenal. It almost looks like the shapes are coming out at you because they look so three-dimensional due to the shading and color. The artist goes by the name of DAIM, and if would like to check out his website, click on the following URL: http://www.daimgallery.com/

His work is simply stunnin' and he's been doing this since like, 1989. He's sooo talented. He not only does plain graffiti, but he also does spraypaint on canvas of insects and other things, which can be seen on his website.

He makes me want to be a better person, haha! I sure will learn alot from observing his work once I start spraypainting. I can't wait! :D Instead of doing graffiti on paper, shoes, and such, I actually want to do it on a building :P Let's just hope I don't get fined.




-Monique

"Ganguro Girl Rebellion"

"Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes. Wild hair color and cellphones, your accessories are dead on."- Gwen Stefani, "Harajuku Girls"

Well, since i'm taking you around the world with different fashion, pop culture, and art, I thought to myself, what better way to take off by traveling to my favorite country....JAPAN!!

They're eclectic and wild taste in fashion is immaculate, and it inspires my way of dressing 100 percent. Now, our destination in Japan...the Harajuku section of Tokyo, Japan (which is close to Shibuya Station).

Believe it or not, Harajuku fashion is constantly changing. It is not just one particular style, it's several. Whether it's Gothic Lolita (or GothLoli), Decora, Kawaii, etc, Japanese teenagers and young adults are always finding away to put their own spins on the different types of styles. But, I think the one that stood out to me the most was the "Ganguro" or "Gyaru" style, because it is so strange, satirical, and outrageous to me.

Now, "Ganguro" is actually a style in which Japanese teen girls, or even twenty-something really take to the limit. Many believe that it is a mockery of American women with fake tans, blonde hair, and sometimes rather revealing clothing. In Japan, it is a form of rebellion against traditional Japanese society. Ganguro girls are often ostracized or tend to stick together because they are seen as whores or prostitutes by the way they look (America, look at your influence on the world. Haha!)

The "ganguro" style consists of the girls painting their skin bright orange and dark brown (similar to "black faces" back in the 19th/20th centuries) in order to obtain that "tan" look. They wear incredibly sparkling silver makeup or other outrageous colors depending on preference. They dye their hair blonde or add extensions of multiple colors to make them stand out. Oh, and not to mention, they always have a cellphone with crazy charms on there. They also wear clothes with bright neon colors, short skirts, platform shoes, etc.

This is the gist of the whole ganguro style. I thought it was very weird and off-putting at first (I still do), but it is a form of rebellion against traditional society. And, as stated before, it is sort of satirical because if you look at the ideal American woman this day in age (blonde hair, tan, alot of makeup), it's almost like it is poking fun at American women.

Well, this is the fascinating fist post. I'll take you all to Germany in my next post :D

-Monique

"The Beginning of a New Experience"

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the streets, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."-Coco Chanel

Well, I should first start off by saying that I am new to this whole "blogging" thing, but I am very excited to try it out. =]

"Valiant Expression" was created so that people can see the different fashion trends and art from around the world. There are so many different countries, and each country has their own culture (which includes art, fashion, pop culture, etc.) I thought it would be really exciting to let the people of the world know what's going on in the non-conformist society.

This is only my first post, but more exciting will come shortly. I just hope that you will be patient enough to take the time out and read them.

-Monique