Thursday, 3 May 2018

OUGD603 - 27 CLUB - Seattle Grunge Research







Mia Zapata - Kentucky born musician, singer and songwriter, Zapata learned the guitar and piano from an early age, and was influenced by Punk, Jazz, R&B and Blues. Zapata formed the punk band The Gits in 1986. The band moved to Seatle in 1989 where the demand for there genre of music was high. Mia became very popular amongst the grunge and punk scene in Seatle while the band gained local fame for there early single releases. In 1992 the band released there first album, Frenching the Bully, which gained huge success and praise amongst musicians and fans. The Gits released one more album which was to be there last in 1993. 


Punk music design has a visual style which is easily recognisable, most common of which is collage and photomontage styles, Mia and The Gits were a blend of classic punk but also the new grunge scene which arose in Seatle where the band lived. Through looking at punk and grunge album art and posters I found that the styles were pretty similar artistically, using techniques such as politically charged design and collage.

Other musicians around the time paid tribute to Zapata following her deathm bands like 7 Year Bitch, Nirvana and Pearl Jam paying tribute in different ways, with the former releasing an album called ‘Viva Zapata’ Which features a drawing of Mia in mexican clothing (A reference to a tour they shared) aswell as roses, these represent Mia’s favourite flower and refers to the fact her funeral entrance fee was one rose. 

Looking at the covers of The Gits albums we see re-appropriation of old art being used for a punk album. Through using photomontage/collage I have been able to take details of her life in small visual form and make a build up, a rememberance of her life and works.


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