This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since January 2010. It is written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Tagged since November 2011. It may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Tagged since December 2010. It may contain original research. Tagged since November 2011.

The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself, as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them on one's behalf. Literally meaning "do it yourself," it promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than just what he or she may have thought was possible. Naturally, a DIY attitude requires that the adherent attain as well as retain the knowledge required to complete a given task. Without this, DIY is an ineffective dogma. The term can refer to "doing" anything at all, including home improvements and repairs, first aid, or even creative endeavors.

Central to the ethic is the empowerment of individuals and communities, encouraging the employment of alternative approaches when faced with bureaucratic or societal obstacles to achieving their objectives.

Rather than belittling or showing disdain for knowledge or expertise, DIY champions the average individual seeking knowledge and expertise for him/herself. Instead of using the services of others who have expertise, a DIY-oriented person would seek out the knowledge for him/herself.

Punk culture[link]

In the punk subculture, the DIY ethic is tied to punk ideology and anticonsumerism, as a rejection of the need to purchase items or use existing systems or processes. According to the punk aesthetic, one can express oneself and produce moving and serious works with limited means.^[1] Arguably since the 1970s;^[2] emerging punk bands began to record their music, produce albums and merchandise, distribute their works and often performed basement shows in residential homes rather than at traditional venue, to avoid corporate sponsorship or to secure freedom in performance. Since many venues tend to shy away from more experimental music, houses and other private venues are often the only places at which these bands can play.

Riot Grrrl, associated with third wave feminism, also undertook the core values of punk in terms of the DIY ethic by utilizing creative ways of communicating through zines and other projects.^[3]

Adherents of the DIY punk ethic can also work collectively. For example, punk impresario David Ferguson's CD Presents was a DIY concert production, recording studio, and record label network.^[4]

The DIY punk ethic also applies to simple everyday living, such as learning bicycle repair rather than taking a bike to a mechanic's shop, sewing/repairing/modifying clothing rather than buying new clothes, starting vegetable gardens, and reclaiming recyclable products by dumpster diving. Some educators also engage in DIY teaching techniques, sometimes referred to as Edupunk.

Around the world[link]

United Kingdom[link]

Having originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the form of the free festival movement, mutating through protest camps (thus incorporating elements of earlier radical tendencies such as the beat and peace movements) and into punk through bands such as Crass, DIY culture became something of a recognised movement in the 1990s in the UK, where the protest (the direct action) and party (the festival) converged. The prime example of this movement was the Exodus Collective. This development constituted a significant cross-pollination of pleasure and politics resembling the anti-disciplinary politics of the 1960s. During the 1990s, demonstrating the desire for an economy of mutual aid and co-operation, the commitment to the non-commodification of art, the appropriation of digital and communication technologies for free community purposes, and the commitment to alternative technologies such as biodiesel. From 1991–1997 the Conservative government cracked down on squatting, animal rights activists, greens, travellers, as well as raves, parties and dance culture.

In 1994, the United Kingdom passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which contained several sections designed to curtail the growing free party and anti-road protest movements (sometimes embodied by ravers and travellers). It empowered police to arrest citizens who appeared to be preparing to hold a rave, waiting for a rave to start, or attending a rave.

United States[link]

DIY culture in the United States can be linked to many of the same philosophies of the Arts and Crafts movement of the 1900s, which sought to reconnect people with hands-on activities and the aesthetics associated with them. This was in direct opposition to the prevailing industrialization and modernization which was moving many aspects of the culture's aesthetics away from the hand-made artisan-created styles of the past and toward a mass-produced sleek modern vision of the future. DIY culture in the US arguably evolved from a simple cost-saving activity of the 1940s and 1950s to an increasingly radical political activity which stood against the increasingly visible trends of mass-production, conspicuous consumerism, waste, and the industrial corporate philosophy of planned obsolescence. DIY culture in the US is a current and evolving loose coalition of various individuals. There are many members of DIY culture with distinct and activist philosophies and goals, such as Betsy Greer who coined the term Craftivism in 2003. There are also many people with a staunch neutrality of political and social issues adopted by other members of the DIY movement. The largest group fall into an area somewhere between these two opposites, as varied in the spectrum of political and social philosophy as members of any large and thriving subculture.

In John Isaacson's book Do-It-Yourself Screenprinting, published by Microcosm Publishing, who gained fame by publishing and distributing a wide variety of zines, Jason Munn is quoted in a "screenprinter profile" as relating to the medium as follows:

I loved the idea of designing or illustrating something and doing the printing myself. Most of my time is spent in front of the computer so the printing is a great way to get my hands dirty again, so to speak.^[5]

The need to connect with the physical world without interacting with computers or other modern technology, which in modern industrialized societies can go unfulfilled for days at a time, becomes a significant motivating force in leading people to embrace DIY culture.

Carla Sinclair, Editor in Chief of Craft attempts to describe the DIY community: "This DIY renaissance embraces crafts while pushing them beyond traditional boundaries, either through technology, irony, irreverence, and creative recycling, or by using innovating materials and processes...the new craft movement encourages people to make things themselves rather than buy what thousands of others already own. It provides new venues for crafters to show and sell their wares, and it offers original, unusual, alternative, and better-made goods to consumers who choose not to fall in step with mainstream commerce."^[6] Ellen Lupton embellishes these thoughts in her book D.I.Y. Design It Yourself: "Around the world, people are making things themselves in order to save money, to customize goods to suit their exact needs and interests, and to feel less dependent on the corporations that manufacture and distribute most of the products and media we consume. On top of these practical and political motivations is the pleasure that comes from developing an idea, making it physically real, and sharing it with other people."^[7] The articulation of both Isaacson and Lupton is that DIY activities and culture not only are unique in a modern world of consumerism, they give pleasure to its members simply due to the lack of corporate control or thoughts of profit and marketability which are often assigned to the act of creation outside the world of fine art.

These views are not universal or without variation, however. In Tsia Carson's introduction to her book 'Craftivity: 40 Projects for the DIY Lifestyle,' she muses that "the kind of agency one gains over their life by making their things is certainly powerful, heady stuff. But I can't honestly say that is why I make things. Do I make things for spiritual reasons? I wonder if I'm ready to speak of crafting as a form of meditation when I compare the crochet hats I make for my daughter's stuffed monkey to venerable practices like making Tibetan sand mandalas. We make things for two reasons: pleasure and because we can."^[8] While some ascribe political or social context to their DIY activities, others ascribe personal or spiritual dimensions.

Matt Maranian, author of 'Pad: The Guide to Ultra-Living,' a guide to making your own home decor specifically intended not to look like it was purchased in any store, illustrates another aspect of DIY culture: "Pad is not a book for the helpless, the aimless, or the clueless, Pad is a book for the empowered, the inspired, and the creative. It's a book for people who forge their own trail, and who know how to make the very most of what they have at hand — or can find cheaply. Pad is the guerrilla approach to home decorating."^[9] Matt articulates the sense of community and subculture present in DIY culture, perhaps even hinting at a kind of intellectual succession from a society deemed "helpless...aimless...clueless."

The first lines of Amy Spencer's 'DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture' sum up the juxtaposition of DIY culture's aspects by pointing out "the DIY movement is about using anything you can get your hands on to shape your own cultural entity: your own version of whatever you think is missing in mainstream culture. You can produce your own zine, record an album, publish your own book — the enduring appeal of this movement is that anyone can be an artist or creator. The point is to get involved."^[10]

Internet[link]

Technological developments, new internet platforms, applications and innovations in the last ten years have made it easier for artists, makers and creators of all types to circumvent professional studios and create high-quality work themselves. Developments in media software and the proliferation of high-speed internet access have given artists of all ages and abilities from across the globe, the opportunity to make their own films, records, or other creative content, and distribute it over the web. Such works were usually displayed on a private homepage, and gained popularity through word-of-mouth recommendations or being attached to chain letters (known as viral distribution).

Sites like Newgrounds and DeviantArt allow users to post their art and receive community critique, while Instructables allows DIYers to exhibit their works in an instructional how-to format. It is becoming common for content creators to share and receive compensation for their work online. Musicians can distribute their wares over the internet, independently of commercial funding, using the same computer they used to record.

See also[link]

• Anarcho-punk
• Basement show
• Bricolage
• Cassette culture
• Circuit bending
• Community film
• Crass
• D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist
• Eskalators
• Guerrilla gig
• Hackerspace
• Homebuilt aircraft
• Make (magazine)
• Remodernist Film
• Self-publishing
• Underground comix
• White box (computer hardware)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Brass, Elaine; Sophie Poklewski Koziell (1997). Denise Searle. ed. Gathering Force: DIY Culture — Radical Action for Those Tired of Waiting. London: Big Issue. ISBN 1-899419-01-2. 
• Kimmelman, Michael (Aril 14, 2010). "D.I.Y. Culture". The New York Times Abroad. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/arts/18abroad.html. Retrieved August 4, 2011. 
• McKay, George (1996). Senseless Acts of Beauty: Cultures of Resistance since the Sixties. London: Verso. ISBN 1-85984-028-0. 
• George McKay, ed. (1998). DiY Culture: Party & Protest in Nineties Britain. New York: Verso. ISBN 1-85984-260-7. 
• Graham St John, ed. FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dancefloor. Altona: Commonground. ISBN 1-86335-084-5. 
• Wall, Derek (1999). Earth First and the Anti-Roads Movement: Radical Environmentalism and Comparative Social Movements. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-19064-9. 

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2008)

Colin Newman
Colin Newman playing at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia in 2008
Background information
Born	16th September 1954
Origin	London, England
Genres	Alternative rock, Punk, Post-punk, Experimental rock, Electronic
Instruments	vocals, guitar
Years active	1976–present day
Labels	swim ~, Crammed, 4AD, Beggars Banquet Records
Associated acts	Wire, Oracle, immersion, Spigel * Newman * Colin * Malka, Githead
Website	http://www.swimhq.com
Notable instruments
Ovation Breadwinner Danelectro Baritone

Colin Newman (born 16 September 1954, Salisbury, Wiltshire) is an English musician, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as the primary vocalist and songwriter for the iconic punk band Wire.

Biography[link]

Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label. The album veered from extremely skewed pop to more mainstream numbers, such as "Order for Order", which was compared by some to Gary Numan. A track from the demos for this LP (but not included on the original vinyl release), "Not Me", was covered by This Mortal Coil on their It'll End In Tears LP. Newman's second LP, the entirely instrumental Provisionally Entitled The Singing Fish, in which all the tracks were titled for numbered fish, was released on the 4AD Records label in 1981. A third LP, Not To, which along with original compositions reworked a number of tracks originally written for Wire, was released in 1982 on 4AD.

Following this, Newman took a grant and travelled to India to collect sound recordings.

Wire reformed in 1984. In 1986 another solo LP, Commercial Suicide was released on the Crammed Discs label. A massive change in style for Newman, the album is reflective and highly orchestrated. His next LP, It Seems, followed a similar path, albeit with far more use of sequencers — something Newman would continue to work with for a number of years. Both Crammed albums featured Malka Spigel who has been included in all subsequent solo & collaborative work.

Newman's only other de-facto solo outing was the mid-1990s release Bastard, an almost entirely instrumental release with tracks largely built from guitar loops and samples. Released on his own label, Swim ~, the first pressing of the album was packaged with a free copy of Newman's four track Voice EP. Despite Newman's name being on the cover, he says these releases, along with several others on Swim ~, are essentially collaborative efforts with his wife and musical partner, Malka Spigel. Therefore, Spigel's albums and the pair's releases under the name Immersion could to some extent be considered Newman "solo" efforts as well (see discography).

Colin Newman's song "Alone" made an appearance in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs in a scene in which the character Buffalo Bill is sewing in a basement. This song was also covered by This Mortal Coil on their Filigree & Shadow LP.

Newman has produced, arranged and mixed various other artists. These include Virgin Prunes, Minimal Compact, Alain Bashung, Silo & Lobe on the production and arrangement side and Hawkwind, Dead Man Ray, Fennesz, Polysics and Celebricide on the mix side. He has also mixed all new Wire releases since 2000.

Since 2004, Newman has worked with Githead, a quartet composed of Newman and long-time collaborator Malka Spigel, as well as Max Franken and Robin Rimbaud.^{[citation needed]} Colin Newman is also a director of PostEverything & runs the Pinkflag label for Wire.

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• A-Z / Beggars Banquet (1980)
• Provisionally Entitled The Singing Fish / 4AD (1981)
• Not To / 4AD (1982)
• Commercial Suicide / Crammed (1986)
• It Seems / Crammed (1988)
• Bastard / Swim ~ (1997)

Solo singles and EPs[link]

• "B" / Beggars Banquet (1980)
• "Inventory" / Beggars Banquet (1981)
• "We Means We Starts" / 4AD (1982)
• CN1 / 4AD (1982)
• "Feigned Hearing" / Crammed (1986)
• "Interview" / Crammed (1987)
• "Better Later Than Never" / Crammed (1988)
• Voice / Swim ~ (1994)

Collaborative albums and mini albums[link]

• Malka Spigel Rosh Ballata Swim ~ (1993)
• Oracle Tree Swim ~ (1994)
• immersion Oscillating Swim ~ (1994)
• immersion Full Immersion (Remixes) Swim ~ (1995)
• Malka Spigel Hide Swim ~ (1997)
• Malka Spigel My Pet Fish Swim ~ (1997)
• immersion Low Impact Swim ~ (1999)
• Spigel * Newman * Colin * Malka Live Swim ~ (1999)

External links[link]

• Swim Records (official site)
• Githead official site
• posteverything
• Full Discography on the Colin Newman site (with pictures)
• Colin Newman on Myspace
• Interview with Colin Newman on Music Towers
• Interview with Colin Newman on Trilogyrock (Spain)
• Colin Newman interview (october 2001) for QRD