The normality of Darkness
Spring comes, as
every year. And colors spread, as always, everywhere… but in one place:
Leipzig.
The
green-friendly German city turns dark every such season, since 23 years
already.
Leipzig chooses
a black mantle to celebrate the Wave Gotik Treffen, the world’s largest
festival of the Gothic scene. Elegance and boldness meet in the capital of
darkness during four days full of music concerts, exhibitions, performances,
lectures, parties and fashion shows. The usually quite hidden and mysterious Gothic
world emerges fleetingly and splendorously.
Photos: Gothic elegance (left); Violet Tears in concert (right)
In Germany, the
Gothic culture has a lot to say, and in many other places around the globe, especially
in Japan and some South American countries, it grows slowly and subtly.
In Lebanon Gothic
Metal band The Arcane has led the almost insignificant dark scene for quite
longer than a decade, while visible social activity is limited to a couple of
events a year.
Photos: Victorian Picnic
Gothic birth
The Gothic subculture is musically based and driven;
the music is what holds the social scene together and it has associated tastes in music and
fashion.
Photos: Gothic styles
So far as to what mainstream media officially state. But
being Goth is more than just liking a certain kind of music or dressing in black.
Goth is not a phase, it is something that either you are or you are not. Goths are most likely to carry on being such
into their adult life.
Gothic always was. It somehow exists since the
dawn of time. Therefore, there have been always Gothic people whether they were
able or not to identify themselves as such.
Culture
So what is it that makes a person identify as Goth? Gothic
culture is characterized by an attraction to beauty and elegance, romanticism, art, and culture in
general; it also often means a
preoccupation with themes of death, darkness, the mysterious, magic,
mysticism, the supernatural,
fantastic nature, mythology, the archaic…
Most subjects that are taboo in 'normal' society and
other topics that are only roached carefully outside of the gothic community
are freely discussed and debated. Most Goths have realized that fear is only a
reaction instilled in us by dogmatic propaganda, and once you realize there is
nothing to fear from the topic, what is going to stop you from discussing it?
Photos: Collection d'Arnell Andrea (Italy); Cécile Corbel (France).
Going back to
older times, Gothic fiction is an 18th century genre of literature that
combines supernatural,
horror and Romanticism. It is believed to be Horace Walpole who was the pioneer
of this writing mode, together with melodrama and parody. It had a great
success during the 19th century and Ann Radcliffe, George Eliot, Edgar
Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Charles Baudelaire count among the most
prominent authors. Dante Alighieri (13th century) is one of
the most preferred readings as well.
A relic of the Gothic
movie history are the German Expressionist silent films, with Fritz Lang,
F.W. Murnau, and Karl Freund as main ambassadors of the gender. Directors and
film makers such as Billy Wilder, Otto Preminger, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson
Welles, Carol Reed and Michael Curtiz introduced the Expressionist style to
crime dramas of the 1940s, expanding Expressionism's influence on modern film
making.
Gothics like
dark spaces, cemeteries (mainly the ancient architectural styles and imagery)
but it doesn’t make them satanic, occult cult members or sect followers. They
are basically non-violent and don’t show
anti-social behavior in particular. They are likely
to have a distaste for authority, to possess above average intelligence, and to
be social misfits.
They are often not as interested in drugs as many
other subcultures. They have a good
ability to express their feelings and believe in romance rather than in one-night
stands.
Goths (of all subcategories) do not so much
rebel against society but sort of ignore it and try to give shape to their own parallel
society.
Many stereotypes of Goths exist these days. It seems
everyone has his or her own way to define 'what is Goth'. From the stereotypes
based on clothing to music right up to the stereotypes of all goths being
satanists or part of some kind of cult. Categorically, all of these are false.
Photos: WGT 2013
Almost everyone in the subculture would probably agree
that possessing a Gothic personality is ultimately what makes someone Gothic:
individualistic, reflective, artistic, creative, introspective, emotionally
focused and driven, sensitive, non-violent, moody.
For people with a gothic personality, their
involvement is not merely a rebellious phase, but part of their inner self.
People in the Goth scene all have different musical
tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies, decoration,
and fashion sense.
Goths are hard-core
romantics, dreamy realists and cynical idealists. They are free
thinkers, refined and sensitive
people who do not accept the moral rules of society. Rather Goths tend to
listen to what you have to say, and make up their own mind. This kind of free
thinking and rejection of dogma often earns rejection in todays society.
Like many other
music based subcultures, Goths have faced differing levels of social
intolerance due mostly to outward stylistic appearances. But
that’s ok for them…
Photos: Gothic fantasy
They find beauty in what others consider dark, while seeking fairness and tenderness in their daily lives. They love all things ancient, while being modern and liberal in their social outlook.
After all Goth is just beauty found in the darker things in life.
Dark fashion
The upcoming of Gothic music was accompanied by the
birth of a new fashion that was borrowed from the punk look and given a darker
edge.
The Gothic movement incorporates a handful of styles
blended together into its own fashion. Elements from Victorian and Edwardian
eras, as well as Medieval, Renaissance, pagan, and ethereal fantastic
aesthetics, merge along with the industrial technology look typical from the
Steampunk scene, the spicy-innocence from Oriental Gothic Lolita (a dark
baby-doll look, specially booming in Japan and China), the futuristic
post-apocalyptic Cybergoth with its distinctive bright fluorescent colors, the androgyny
and burlesque (often with a militaristic touch), and the pinup posing… All that
combined by the Gothic romantic refinement, sensitivity, artistic tradition,
and taste for beauty inspires the Gothic culture clothing and personal look to
create an elaborated and elegant outfit.
The fabrics can consist of velvets, silks, chiffon or lace. Jewellery can be pearls, chokers, crosses, ankhs, silver and precious stones, but never gold. Veiled hats, vintage purses, vampire-inspired bags and backpacks, decorated parasols and umbrellas, stoles and shawls, long retro gloves, bulky boots and shoes, are among the preferred accessories.
Photos: Gothic fashion
Most of the Gothic
stereotypes may fit among the Lord
look, the self-made dandy or gallant, the aristocrat, the vampire, the Byronic
hero, for gentlemen, and the passionate Lady, the fairytale virginal maiden, the
super dominatrix, the evil queen, for ladies.
Those who feel like exploring such unconventional
world, who want to approach a different way of living, feeling, and enjoying
culture have the opportunity to come to Leipzig next year, form the 22nd
to the 25th of May, on the 24th edition of the Wave Gotik
Treffen.
Nearly 200 bands, plus around 50 musical performances
from classical to experimental, not less than 25 parties with national and
international DJ’s, record releases, multiple exhibitions, many free entrance
museums, cinema screenings…
Leipzig is also an open air must see fashion
show, a dark carnival, a peaceful meeting starred by shadowy figures wandering
throughout its beautiful city center, sneaking into its monuments and museums,
amusing the public transportation, conquering parks and neighborhoods… The show
starts three days before the Pentecost Monday each year.
©david xavier 2014 [text & photos]
