x Blank Space x
2015, T-Shirt, approx. 4" x 4" (front left print), 10" x 6" (back print)
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
What started as an idiotic inside joke among friends bloomed into an actual, wearable, but equally idiotic inside joke on a T-shirt.
Just to cover myself: We made no money off these shirts, these shirts were never sold anywhere, and they were only given away for free to folks in our circle of friends.
After the Blank Space video dropped in 2014/2015 and the internet lost their minds, a bunch of punk-rock (and T-Swift) loving friends of mine and I brainstormed a parody shirt recalling the aesthetic of late 80's and early 90's straight edge hardcore bands, such as Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today. Many of those shirts displayed the band name in a slab serif, varsity letter-style font, and often had a high-contrast, black and white back print of a live shot from one of the band's shows.
Once again, we made no money off these shirts, these shirts were never sold anywhere, and they were only given away to folks in our circle of friends.
I started with the back print, taking the famous screenshot of our very distressed pop star in a pose similar to that of the countless hardcore singers yelling into a mic, increased the contrast and reduced the image down to a solid white shape.
I then threw on a halftone layer to simulate the DIY photocopied photo aesthetic of punk and hardcore shows, and stuck the chorus lyrics around the frame, further recalling a recurring aesthetic choice for hardcore band shirts.
I then threw on a halftone layer to simulate the DIY photocopied photo aesthetic of punk and hardcore shows, and stuck the chorus lyrics around the frame, further recalling a recurring aesthetic choice for hardcore band shirts.
As a reminder, we made no money off these shirts, these shirts were never sold anywhere, and they were only given away for free to folks in our circle of friends.
It looks cooler from across the room, which was what I was going for. That damn moire effect and people's eyes not adjusting well.
The logo was a bit tougher to suss out. I wanted to continue evoking the straight edge hardcore aesthetic, but integrate as much of the video as I could. I ended up settling on the classic straight edge X made out of bent and broken golf clubs, with a slightly distressed varsity letter logo. Looking at it now, I wish I spent a bit more time weathering the logo so it looks a bit more organic.
Just to remind you: we made no money off these shirts, these shirts were never sold anywhere, and they were only given away for free to folks in our circle of friends.
The resultant shirt design still looks pretty decent, and gets chuckles from folks in the know who can spot all the references. I wish I didn't give my own copy away to another one of my friends because it was just a smidge too big and loose on me. I'm still waiting for my friend to print up a second run, but unfortunately I believe time, lack of production materials, and lack of courage to face Tay-Tay's army of lawyers have caught up with all of us, making this initial run most likely the only run that will ever be made.
Once again, to reiterate: we made no money off these shirts, these shirts were never sold anywhere, and they were only given away for free to folks in our circle of friends.
