The Cherry Tree Yearbook - Movement of Art and Pop Culture

Venz Harriet Jae Felipe Manangan

Research Essay

The Cherry Tree Yearbook:

Movement of Art and Pop culture

Abstract: In this essay, Venz Manangan investigates the development changes in the art world and popular culture that occurred in the 1970s which influenced how the 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook was published. He drew upon various resources such as the 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook, various artistic movements and pop culture that erupted within the decade. Manangan’s research focuses on the movement of art, especially photography and graphic design that occurred in the 1970s and how it overall influenced the way students conducted their production and the 1977 yearbook. Manangan depicts various influencers of the photography field, curatorial projects, and the growth of technology, which resulted to the rapidly evolving experiments in the visual production of the time. He links the evolution of technology, the innovation of art mediums and the emergence of popular culture to illustrate how these overall influences during the decade can be seen in The George Washington University 1977 Cherry Tree Yearbook.

When new movements and developments occurred in the world of art, there came a burst of rich ideas that emerged as a result. The 1970’s, an era that was deeply influenced by the 60s, produced a few of the most captivating innovations.1 With the result of building up from the unique ideas in the earlier decade, art has further evolved. The changes of preferences to various mediums, significant figures and pieces of the 70s art developments were brought into spotlight.2 These eventful changes were found all around the nation, in all settings, including The George Washington University.

The world of art, all throughout the twentieth century, was overwhelmed by painting leaving photography and graphic design as the less popular mediums. However, in the 1970s and '80s, new developed medias emerged within videography and graphic design which reshaped meanings of the term "art". As a result, photography ended up one of the art world's most popular media.3 The effect of these changes wasn’t limited to professional artists but also students which have been applying the new levels of craftsmanship within their respective schools. Regardless of whether it's outlining a book cover, compiling in photos that catches the campus life and designing the aesthetics for the yearbook. The impact of artistic ideas and the advancement of digital apparatuses

1"Pop Art Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. Accessed May 25, 2018. http://www.theartstory.org/movement-pop-art.htm.

2Rorimer, A., New Art in the 60s and 70s: Redefining Reality, Thames & Hudson, 2004

3Levin, K, Beyond Modernism: Essays on Art from the ’70s and ’80s, Harper & Row, 1998

(camera, outlining devices, format sheets, etc....) to create art has influenced the way students approach different productions and publications. The main one being “The Cherry Tree”, a yearbook publication that reflects the events and lives of people involved with a school during a given year.

As the result of art and casual life intermingling even further, the original understanding of the art mechanics had developed.4 The 1970’s pushed such advancements further, advancing the lead from the development in the 60s, giving birth to an evolved photographic and digital era.5

One major influencer in the world of photography during the 1970s is Gary Winogrand. He produced visually compelling photos of the American life, deviating away from the former traditions of street photography. His photos have an unorthodox composition in a way that it seemed ineffectively created. His unique techniques produced pieces that emphasized his subject matters, especially the American culture. Moreover, his pictures mixed in distinctive elements into one arrangement, which enables the audience to engage in with

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4 Howell, A., The Analysis of Performance Art: A Guide to Its Theory and Practice, Routledge, 1999

5 Squiers, Carol, and Geoffrey Batchen. What Is a Photograph? New York, NY: International Center of Photography, 2014.

his pieces in unordinary and new ways. Winogrand's renowned assemblage of work is compiled in the picture books he created which has prompted wide attention within the exhibit stages6 and class room settings, including The George Washington university 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook.

Students who collaborated within the 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook at the George Washington university were partly influenced by Winogrand's photos, which uncovered raw images of American society. The subtly of his social and political remark in his photos of the turbulent Sixties has been admired and imitated all around the nation.7 It is this aspect of Winogrand's unique aesthetic that inspired the next generation of artists, photographers and designers such as those who contributed to the 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook.8

Although majority of the pictures included Cherry Tree yearbook doesn’t necessarily go in full parallel with all of Winogrand’s work, the content and the idea behind his artistic philosophy are still etched in photos.

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Page 33 of the George Washington University 1977 Cherry Tree yearbook

Garry Winogrand, “New York,” 1968; SFMOMA, gift of Dr. L.F. Peede, Jr.; © The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

The photos in