Kristīne Brence

PhD Researcher examining the cultural and political dimensions of rock music along the East Coast of the Baltic Sea, with a focus the 1990s to the 2010s. The research investigates intersections of politics, national identity, and musicology; drawing on sociomusicological frameworks, collective memory and cultural continuity.

My Master’s by Research (MRes) investigates the visual culture of the 1990s U.S. Pacific Northwest Grunge movement, with a particular focus on the design work of Art Chantry. The research explores Seattle’s Grunge-era graphic design through the lens of Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (1935), alongside an examination of 1980s U.S. domestic politics, Generation X, and the idea of cultivating  dead celebrity culture. The study further considers the graphic design practices of key figures and record labels associated with the period, including Art Chantry (The Rocket, Sub Pop), David Carson (Ray Gun), and Raymond Pettibon (SST Records). Previously, I completed a BA (Hons) in Media Production: Film and Television, where my areas of study included Factual Storytelling, Screen Production, Hollywood and Independent Cinema, Cinematography and Post-Production, TV Studio Production, Transmedia, and Research Methods. I am skilled within the Adobe Creative Suite & Affinity Suite.

The Cult of Grunge: Politics. Design. Religion.: Capitalizing on the Anti-Corporate 1990s Grunge Scene (2025) is available now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FRGFH8ZG 

Baltic PagRock Blog: https://balticpagrock.substack.com/