Contesting class, gender and national identity: The visual art practice of Test Dept | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 11, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 2044-1983
  • E-ISSN: 2044-3706

Abstract

The 1980s was a time of discontinuity in the United Kingdom as the country was restructured through an extensive reconfiguration of economic, social and political relations. This shift towards what would subsequently be termed neo-liberalism included the deliberate dismantling of organized labour as a political force, privatization, deregulation, cuts to the welfare state and a belief in the pre-eminence of the market as the most effective processor of information. Test Dept formed in 1981 and evolved politically in the socio-economic context of the early imposition of neo-liberalism. Test Dept’s visual art practice contested neo-liberal representation and discourse, opening up space and providing resources for alternative identities and the perpetuation of models of identity based around collectivism and solidarity. This article explores Test Dept’s practice, focusing on three aspects of identity that neo-liberalism attempted to restructure: class, gender and national identity.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/punk_00130_1
2022-06-01
2024-04-24
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Althusser, Louis. ( 2020), On Ideology, London and New York:: Verso;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson, Benedict. ( 1991), Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, London and New York:: Verso;.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Anon. ( 1983;), ‘ Test Dept interview. ’, Alternatives to Valium #4, fanzine, Encyclopaedia Electronica , pp. 1011.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Anon. ( 1984a;), ‘ Metal bashing for the miners. ’, Sounds, 17 November, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Anon. ( 1984b;), ‘ Test Dept.. ’, They’re Coming to Take Me Away, fanzine, n.p.:: Encyclopaedia Electronica;, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Anon. ( 1985;), ‘ Test Dept.. ’, No Class, fanzine, n.p.:: Encyclopaedia Electronica;, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Barris, Roann. ( 1998;), ‘ Culture as a battleground: Subversive narratives in constructivist architecture and stage design. ’, Journal of Architectural Education, 52:2, pp. 10923, https://www.academia.edu/4134620/Culture_as_a_Battleground_Subversive_Narratives_in_Constructivist_Architecture_and_Stage_Design. Accessed 9 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Barry, Judith, and Flitterman, Sandy. ( 1980;), ‘ Textual strategies: The politics of art making. ’, Screen, 21:2, pp. 3548.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Benjamin, Walter. ( [1934] 1978;), ‘ The author as producer. ’ in P. Demetz, (ed.) and E. Jephcott. (trans.), Reflections, New York:: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich;, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Brown, Patrick, and Sutcliffe, Allan. ( 2015;), ‘ Shoulder to Shoulder (the enemy within). ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 5668.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Butt, Gavin. ( 2016a;), ‘ Being in a band: Artschool experimentalism and the post-punk commons. ’, YouTube, 7 March, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixUuiYSc15g&t=889s. Accessed 28 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Butt, Gavin. ( 2016b;), ‘ Being in a band: Art-school experiment and the post-punk commons – A lecture by Gavin Butt. ’, in G. Butt,, K. Eshun, and M. Fisher. (eds), Post-Punk: Then and Now, London:: Repeater Books;, pp. 5783.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Charney, Kim. ( 2021), Sociopolitical Aesthetics: Art Crisis and Neoliberalism, London:: Bloomsbury Academic;.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Correia, Alice. ( 2006;), ‘ Interpreting Jeremy Deller’s The Battle of Orgreave. ’, Visual Culture in Britain, 7:2, pp. 93112.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Cunnington, Graham,, Farquhar, Angus, and Jamrozy, Paul. ( 2015;), ‘ Politics and art: The constructivist origins of the Test Dept image. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 5051.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Darlington, Andy. ( 1985;), ‘ Test Department. ’, Overground #2, fanzine, n.p.:: Self-published;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Debord, Guy. ( 1977), Society of the Spectacle, Detroit:: Black & Red;.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Eisenstein, Sergei. ( 1925;), ‘ The method of making workers films (USSR 1925). ’, in S. MacKenzie. (ed.), Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Cultures; a Critical Anthology, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Evans, Mary. ( 2003), Gender and Social Theory, Buckingham and Philadelphia, PA:: Open University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Farquhar, Angus. ( 2015;), ‘ EXPO phone call. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, p. 157.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Fisher, Mark. ( 2009), Capitalist Realism: Is There Really no Alternative?, Winchester and Washington, DC:: O Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Fisher, Mark. ( 2015;), ‘ Test Dept: Where leftist idealism and popular modernism collide. ’, in D. Ambrose. (ed.), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished Writings of Mark Fisher (2004–16), London:: Repeater Books;, pp. 41517.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Forster, Tim. ( 2019;), ‘ Interview: Test Dept – Art, politics and a new album. ’, Echoes and Dust, 3 February, https://echoesanddust.com/2019/02/test-dept-art-politics-and-a-new-album/. Accessed 7 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Foster, Hal. ( 1996), The Return of the Real, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Gillespie, David. ( 2000), Early Soviet Cinema: Innovation, Ideology and Propaganda, London:: Wallflower;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Goddard, Michael. ( 2017;), ‘ Audiovision and gesamtkunstwerk: The aesthetics of first and second generation industrial music video. ’, in G. Arnold,, D. Cookney,, K. Fairclough, and M. Goddard. (eds), Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media, New York and London:: Bloomsbury;, pp. 16380.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Goldberg, RoseLee. ( 2011), Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present, London:: Thames & Hudson;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Harvey, David. ( 2005), A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Harvie, Jen. ( 2013), Fair Play: Art, Performance and Neoliberalism, New York:: Palgrave MacMillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Haslam, Dave. ( 1986;), ‘ Test Dept. ’, Debris #12, fanzine, n.p.:: Encyclopaedia Electronica;, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Hatherley, Owen. ( 2016), The Ministry of Nostalgia, London and New York:: Verso;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Hebdige, Dick. ( 1979), Subculture: The Meaning of Style, London and New York:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Henderson, Dave. ( 1984;), ‘ Workers’ playtime: Test Dept and the art of sound. ’, Sounds, 21 July, pp. 3639.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Jamrozy, Paul. ( 2015;), ‘ Noise: The political economy of political music. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 26.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Jamrozy, Paul, and Turnbull, Brett. ( 2015;), ‘ The revolutionary camera: A conversation between Paul Jamrozy and Brett Turnbull. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 2233.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Jones, Owen. ( 2020), This Land: The Struggle for the Left, London:: Penguin;.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Kaier, Christina. ( 2005), Imagine No Possessions: The Socialist Objects of Russian Constructivism, Cambridge, MA:: The MIT Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Klein, Naomi. ( 2007), The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, London:: Penguin;.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Kopf, Biba, and Palmano, Cindy. ( 1986;), ‘ Freedom is frightening. ’, NME, 19 April, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Laing, Dave. ( 2015), One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock, Oakland, CA:: PM Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Lef, G. T.. ( 2017), comment on ‘Test Dept Total State Machine’ , YouTube, 23 January, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUxoughdYto. Accessed 16 April 2021.
  42. Mackintosh, Maureen, and Mooney, Gerry. ( 2000;), ‘ Identity, inequality and social class. ’, in K. Woodward. (ed.), Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Nation, London and New York:: Routledge;, pp. 79114.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Mallinder, Stephen. ( 2013;), ‘ Foreword. ’, in S. A. Reed. (ed.), Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, pp. ivxiv.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Mathie, Alison,, Cameron, Jenny, and Gibson, Katherine. ( 2017;), ‘ Asset-based and citizen-led development: Using a diffracted power lens to analyze the possibilities and challenges. ’, Progress in Development Studies, 17:1, https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1464993416674302. Accessed 15 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Monroe, Alexei. ( 2015;), ‘ Introduction. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. ivii.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Mulvey, Laura. ( [1975] 2014;), ‘ Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. ’, in S. MacKenzie. (ed.), Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Cultures; A Critical Anthology, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Parsons, Gerald. ( 2002), Perspectives on Civil Religion, Milton Keynes:: The Open University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Pearson, Mike. ( 2015;), ‘ An epic staging. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 25263.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Perry, Gill. ( 2019;), ‘ The everyday, the archive and interpretation. ’, in Contemporary Art, Interpretation and ‘The Everyday’, Milton Keynes:: The Open University;, https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1459328&section=7. Accessed 12 December 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Poynor, Rick. ( 2003), No More Rules: Graphic Design and Postmodernism, London:: Laurence King;.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Ranken, Liz. ( 2015;), ‘ From Britannia to the May Queen. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, pp. 236–39.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Reed, S. Alexander. ( 2013), Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Reyburn, Scott. ( 2021;), ‘ Neoliberalism is distorting how we see art: Is there really no alternative?. ’, The Art Newspaper, 2 February, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/the-prism-of-price-is-distorting-how-we-see. Accessed 28 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Reynolds, Simon. ( 2005), Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978–1984, London:: Faber & Faber;.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Robinson, Emily,, Schofield, Camilla,, Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Florence, and Thomlinson, Natalie. ( 2017;), ‘ Telling stories about post-war Britain: Popular individualism and the “crisis” of the 1970s. ’, Twentieth Century British History, 28:2, pp. 268304.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Rouse, Rose. ( 1983;), ‘ Test Dept. heaven. ’, NME, 24 December, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Rouse, Rose, and Pyke, Steve. ( 1983;), ‘ Electronically tested for your protection: A Test Dept spectacular. ’, Sounds, 13 August, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Spencer, Douglas. ( 2016), The Architecture of Neoliberalism: How Contemporary Architecture Became an Instrument of Control and Compliance, London and New York:: Bloomsbury;.
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Sutherland, Steve, and Sheehan, Tom. ( 1984;), ‘ The anvil chorus. ’, Melody Maker, 7 January, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Suvakovic, Miodrag. ( 2014;), ‘ General theory of ideology and architecture. ’, in V. Mako,, M. R. Blagojevi ü, and M. Vukoti ü Lazar. (eds), Architecture and Ideology, Newcastle upon Tyne:: Cambridge Scholars Publishing;, pp. 212.
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Test Dept ( 1982;), ‘ Test Dept: Program for progress – Shockwork. ’, https://testdept.org.uk/media/video/program-progress-shockwork. Accessed 16 May 2021.
  62. Test Dept ( 1984), Shoulder to Shoulder, vinyl album, London:: Ministry of Power;.
    [Google Scholar]
  63. Test Dept ( 1983a;), ‘ Test Dept: The program from progress – The Fall From Light. ’, https://testdept.org.uk/media/video/program-progress-fall-light. Accessed 19 May 2021.
  64. Test Dept ( 1983b;), ‘ Test Dept: The program from progress – V.F.M.. ’, https://testdept.org.uk/media/video/program-progress-vfm. Accessed 20 May 2021.
  65. Test Dept ( 1984;), ‘ Test Dept: Program for progress – Cold Witness. ’, Website inc, https://testdept.org.uk/media/video/program-progress-cold-witness. Accessed 16 May 2021.
  66. Test Dept ( 1989), Gododdin, vinyl album, London:: Ministry of Power;.
    [Google Scholar]
  67. Test Dept ( 2021), online interview with the author, Facebook.
  68. Test Dept, Monroe, Alexei, and Webb, Peter. ( 2021a;), ‘ Notes from the underground: Mark Fisher Memorial Lecture 2021. ’, PC Press, https://pc-press.co.uk/film-text-and-total-state-machine-test-dept-book-extract-for-mark-fisher-memorial-lecture-audience-friday-29th-january-2021/. Accessed 1 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  69. Test Dept, Monroe, Alexei, and Webb, Peter. ( 2021b;), ‘ Notes from the underground: Mark Fisher Memorial Lecture 2021. ’, YouTube, 29 January, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EPNk-SijcI. Accessed 5 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  70. Tomlinson, Jim. ( 2016;), ‘ De-industrialization not decline: A new meta-narrative for post-war British history. ’, Twentieth Century British History, 27:1, pp. 7699.
    [Google Scholar]
  71. Turnbull, Brett. ( 1984;), ‘ Test Dept: “Total State Machine”. ’, YouTube, 23 January https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUxoughdYto. Accessed 16 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  72. Turnbull, Brett. ( 2015;), ‘ Our finest hour: Visuals. ’, in A. Monroe, and P. Webb. (eds), Total State Machine, Bristol:: PC Press;, p. 159.
    [Google Scholar]
  73. Turner, Luke. ( 2014;), ‘ No more coals from Newcastle: Test Dept at AV festival. ’, The Quietus, 1 April, https://thequietus.com/articles/14889-av-festival-test-dept-review. Accessed 27 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  74. Unterweger, Sophie. ( 2015;), ‘ Construed in the light of current affairs: Concepts of Celtic in Test Dept/Brith Gof’s “Gododdin”. ’, 15th International Congress of Celtic Studies, University of Glasgow, 13–17 July, https://www.academia.edu/9920880/Construed_in_the_light_of_current_affairs_Concepts_of_Celtic_in_Test_Dept_Brith_Gof_s_Gododdin. Accessed 20 March 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  75. Vertov, Dziga. ( [1922] 2014;), ‘ We: Variant of a manifesto (USSR 1922). ’, in S. MacKenzie. (ed.), Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Cultures: A Critical Anthology, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  76. Watson, Don, and Reik, Miriam. ( 1983;), ‘ One-two one-two testing. ’, NME, 13 August, pp. 78.
    [Google Scholar]
  77. Wilkinson, David. ( 2018), Post-Punk, Politics and Pleasure in Britain, London:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  78. Worley, Matthew. ( 2017), No Future: Punk, Politics and British Youth Culture 1976–84, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  79. Forster, Tim. ( 2022;), ‘ Contesting class, gender and national identity: The visual art practice of Test Dept. ’, Punk & Post-Punk, 11:2, pp. 22950, 10.1386/punk_00130_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/punk_00130_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/punk_00130_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error