A Bedroom in the 80s
I don't have an exact date for the photo(s). Possibly 1983-5? When I was around 14-16 years old?
I often marvel at this photograph, I admit. For a variety of reasons;
(1) The posters and images posted on the wall behind me, was quite literally a snap-shot of what and who influenced my soundscape (listed below) and reading habits: Comicbooks = which was a huge part of my life then, and continued growing until adulthood (listed below too) and was a highly important part of my life, more than what folks suspected, and looked down upon too, sadly from folks closest to me...
MUSIC (Posters and pages of music mags):
Scritti Politti
Tears for Fears
Howard Jones
Depeche Mode
Duran Duran
Seiko Matsuda
(I am who unsure if it was "Madness" on my side-cabinet tho... :p)
COMICBOOK POSTERS:
X-Men
Atari Force
Jim Starlin's Dredstar in hand
(2) I cannot make out the cassette tapes, but they too were an important part of my absorbing music - back in the days of $5 for 3 x Bootlegged Tapes = was the only way I could listen to more bands/singers that I would be able to afford on a given student's $$$, then "upgrading" to being able to buy legit tapes after listening to the bootlegged ones first hahahaha ... back in the 80s when downloadable music did not exist, and we were at the mercy of a radio DJ's random playlist LOL
Somehow, I grew up enjoying living my life as I would a "mixtape", featuring multiple variety of influences, I reckon.
(3) I marvel at the notion of a file-folder with montaged images = THE accessory to have in school, back in the 80s (doesn't matter what it held inside lol), regardless male or female! I will ALWAYS remember one I did featuring my own doodles, and quoted words by Ann Nocenti, after being hugely impressed with the LONGSHOT mini series (illustrated by Arthur Adams)! First time I used fluorescent inked pens too lol
(Although I also remembered lending a "friend" an issue of the comicbook series, to have it returned crumpled up = like rolled-up and shoved in the back pocket, and not ever sharing my comic books again to anyone!!!)
The "fun" part about this, as being able to "relive" making folders, when I did my second feature film in 1997/98: "The Teenage Textbook Movie", over a decade later lol
(4) It is one of my first instances of "dressing up" a space for the purposes of taking a picture. When back then it was meant to visually encapsulate what MY world was, I had chosen to place the comic books around me on the bed, and the cassette player on the side table, along with a stack of tapes. The proper up file-folder on the otherwise was the most dubious add, I have to say...! The posters were already existing, although I do not remember WHY i chose to paste them slanted (what we call "dutch" for tv lol) - maybe it was because I was trying to be "different".
I struggled as a teenager to not necessarily "fit in" (why I was never in any "cliques" :p), but also recognised earlier on I was not exceptional enough to be, well, "exceptional", or "special(er)" ... but i also wanted to have my own "voice", and it took me decades to find one I was comfortable with LOL
"Conceptually", It was not until much much later, after being in the media industry for nearly a decade - designing and art directing films and tv - that I recognised and realised what it was that I did in my youth was likened to "mise en scène" LOL
My brother took the snaps :)
(5) That when I tell students to "dress up the bedroom", THIS was what I did for myself (and not based on cliched media presentations we see in both Western and Eastern films/tv), although I do recognise not everyone decorates their own bedrooms at all ... heh.
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