Susan Sontag ’ s Melancholy Object in the Wake of ( Post- ) Postmodernism
in a generalized nostalgic way . They entice us to wallow in a comforting pathos safe without fear that we will be called upon to affect the lives of those pictured ” ( 293 ). The phrase one mostly uses when in a nostalgic mood is “ it was a time where everything was still simple ,” focusing only on the positive and disappeared elements of a certain time scape . When we look at a snapshot of someone from the eighties , for example , we see quirky clothes and cultural references , not the then reigning broader social difficulties , like the Cold War or the AIDS crisis .
Hannah Diamond ’ s work is certainly based around nostalgia . Yet before we discuss her work and influences , it is necessary to contextualize the artist . Diamond is a musician and ( commercial ) photographer / image maker affiliated with the PC Music group . This is a collective of electronic musicians known for left field , extremely layered songs inspired by Eurodance , Happy Hardcore , and , most importantly , noughties mainstream music ( Bakare ). Apart from the noughties references , critics describe Diamond ’ s music as feel-good “ saccharine synth-pop ” ( Joyce ) and “ bubblegum hyper-reality ” ( Bowe ). Her hyper-real vocals and visuals leave critics and “ ordinary ” listeners both endeared to and confused by her music . Her quirky songs granted her multiple reviews and recommendations on different ( renowned ) music blogs . For Diamond , pop-music and imagery intertwine heavily . For every one of her songs , the artist also creates the entire single art from scratch . The inspiration for these artworks is the same as for her commercial work for fashion brands , other musicians , and magazines .
Diamond ’ s practice draws inspiration from several huge fashion players from the past . The influences of photographers David LaChapelle , Mert & Marcus , and Nick Knight , combined with Diamond ’ s interest in turn-of-the-century Dior
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