Political Posters

A poster of Joan of Arc turned into a tshirt for the Tea Party, the Hezbollah-like
faction of the Republican Party who resents government involvement in
economics but seeks it to impose their social and lifestyle choices.  Even their
names have a similar self-righteousness - Hezbollah means "Party of God" in Arabic.

Despite other media - the press, radio, and television - political posters remain an efficient way of communication.  Because of their graphic nature, these posters seem to break through the barriers of language and can be understood by an international audience...

Confrontation & Reflexion by Bangqian Zheng of China.
This poster won first place in the Third Biennial of the
Socio-Political Post in Óswiecim.  On cover of Ós Óswiecim.

The arts - music, theater, literature, poetry, posters - have always had a central role in any movement for social change.  Posters, however, seem to be almost intuitive in their comprehension.  Using bold images and often cutting edge graphic design, posters are at once both an advertisement and historical document of social issues.

Eat by Tomi Ungerger, offset, 1967.
Image courtesy of www.politicalgraphics.org.

No Nukes in the Pacific by Pam Debenham/Tin Sheds Art Workshop
silkscreen, 1984, courtesy of politicalgraphics.

Some say that all art is political.  While that may be true, not all art is openly and intentionally so.  Posters range from raw and disturbing to polished and refined. Although produced in numbers, few survive.  A wide variety of methods are used to print them - offset, silkscreen, stencil, woodcut, lithograph and even photocopy.

Built to Spill by Justin La Fontaine, freelance graphic designer.

By T. Forman/Fireworks Graphics/Inkworks Press, 1989.
Image courtesy of politicalgraphics.

By Martin Lindsay/Allied Printing, 2005.
Image courtesy of politicalgraphics.

Posters communicate immediately and directly.  One can be literate or illiterate and still comprehend their meaning.  Posters have the ability to inflame, outrage, produce compassion, humor, and cause reflection. They cause emotional reactions. They also empower movements by instantly transmitting the hopes, dreams, and purposes of a cause.  From time to time I will be sharing the posters I come across...

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