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Camp & Kitsch Defined
"Camp" is a style of expression that is exaggerated and playful. It often uses humor and over-the-top elements to challenge traditional ideas. To perceive Camp in objects and persons is to understand Being-as-Playing-a-Role. It is the farthest extension, in sensibility, of the metaphor of life as theater. The whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious. (Susan Sontag, “Notes on Camp”)
The word “kitsch” comes from the German word “verkitschen,” which means “to make cheap.” It usually describes art or items that many people think are in poor taste. However, these pieces can also bring up sentimental feelings. Although people often see kitsch as “bad taste” or “artistic rubbish,” it is valued for its emotional connections.
As I began exploring the concept of camp through design, I gained interest in the irony found in slogans on clothing, bumper stickers, and web design, especially in earlier online platforms like GeoCities. Within current fashion trends, with brands like Praying, there is a rising popularity in referencing whats happening on the internet on clothing while pushing the limits of crass messaging on something we wear in our everyday lives. How is it that something considered outdated in technology is now high fashion? Is this revival of early internet kitsch? While the text often seems simplistic, it can convey a wide range of meanings and intentions. I am particularly fascinated by how humor is expressed through such straightforward treatments of typographic messaging.
Collection of Internest Nostalgia and Irony in Type