1980s gothic revival

I have been doing some research for a chapter in Kim Blacha's book on 1980s style. This section looks at the influential (but now almost entirely forgotten) gothic revival that took place in the arts throughout the decade. I am never happier when doing research (even media research for sealants or children's toys) and I found this assignment fascinating.



Above: interest in the gothic during the 1980s seems to have originated in antiquarian research, especially around the social topic of chivalry (previously mostly ignored by English historians). John Boorman made his visually influential film Excalibur in 1981. Maurice Keen wrote his 1984 seminal work on the subject entitled (unsurprisingly) Chivalry. There was a sensational major exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1987 called The Age of Chivalry (this exhibition was probably responsible for the transition of the gothic style from specialist to mainstream interest). There were numerous minor exhibitions with a chivalric theme. It was as if archaeological "discovery" around the topic of chivalry had led to a fashion for gothic in all the fine and applied arts.

More on Keen: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chivalry-Maurice-Keen/dp/0300033605/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239913276&sr=8-2

More on the Royal Academy exhibition: http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=13110&amid=13110

More on Excalibur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soWyMan6FH0&feature=related




Above: among the commercial enterprises adapting the gothic style for consumer goods was Soho Design based at Poland Street and also at 263 Kings Road (which you can see above - it is now a light shop).



Above: designer Peter Leonard produced for Soho Design this modern interpretation of a gothic-backed chair (this is an actual chair, photographed by myself).

More on Peter Leonard: http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/12/garden/the-other-london-where-chintz-is-out.html



Above: the chairs rapidly achieved "mediasaturation" and became a design classic.



Above: Soho Design harvested media interest with clever promotional campaigns.



Above: Soho Design also used the gothic style to reinterpret other aspects of interior design such as this clock.



Above: mainstream confirmation of the 1980s gothic revival came when Laura Ashley (a leading 1980s brand) brought out its own range of gothic furniture and wallpapers.



Above: the 1980s gothic revival influenced architecture throughout the decade, most notably in Quinlan Terry's Gothic Villa overlooking Regent's Park.



Above: the gothic influence was reflected in music - including Kate Bush and Billy Idol (need to so a lot more work on this).

Billy Idol's 1982 White Wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ1OidOK7Js&feature=related (best quality I could find).



Above: Eighties gothic influenced literature, including Patrick McGrath's collection of short stories Blood and Water published in 1988 and AS Byatt's superlative Possession published in 1990 (but undoubtedly a product of the 80s).

In fine art I need to research the Brotherhood of Ruralists which self-consciously modelled itself on the Brotherhood of Pre-Raphaelites: http://ruralists.com/index.html

And that's as far as I have got. I may come back and add bits to this post as I find out more information. Perhaps the Design Museum might put on an exhibition about 1980s Gothic.