Digital Culture

Hope Research

The gorilla is also holding a club, which says “Kultur” on it, which means culture in German. The club has blood on the top part and the gorilla is holding it like a weapon, symbolizing that the weapon he is carrying has, because of the blood, and will destroy cultures. (again subtext- can link to Obama and say less subtext. Modern age.)

https://jordioechsler.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/propaganda-analysis/

'This kind of poster is free from ambiguity, but not romanticisms' – Compare to above.

'Politics is often a war of duelling propagandas.

'Circumvent the innate resistance to propaganda and rouse the electorate. Hope is the graphic essence of the campaign.'

'Visual depictions that instill pride.. are every bit as necessary as those that trigger a negative reaction.'

'Heroic, blemish-free effigies of leaders are rigueur.'

pg 50- 100 ideas ^^^

widely distributed during 2008, Shepard Fairey

Obama provides us hopes.

We don’t understand those two elements separately and we don’t understand the picture by looking at the strokes and colours either. This process corresponds with the term “combinatoriality.” (this can link to Kruger!!!!!!) Perhaps the mad brute has enough contextualisation to work without the words- perhaps this is a reflection of modern society,

are in intersubjective and dynamic meaning systems that  can be recontextualized and reinterpreted Signs are not “conclusions” or particular objects or pure representations but are potential concepts, meanings, and interpretations that are waiting for people to build new concepts based on them. Figure 2 is the poster used for the “Occupy Movement” that is inspired by the “Hope” poster. The image from the movie V for Vendetta implies the “hope” of the movement, i.e. fighting for “inequity” of the society. (link to how Krugers has been used on a wider scale to mean more than it did in the beginning.)

https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/cctp-711-spring2014/what-is-the-meaning-making-process-behind-barack-obama-hope-poster/ Xiaoyi Yuan.

Another thing I noticed about the colors that the analysis did not talk about in detail was the dark red on one half of the poster and the soft blue on the other. These color choices seem to show that Obama can be very stern and commanding if he needs to be, but is also very sincere and caring towards others. (again the all the posters show parallels of not just good and evil, but of compassion and direction.)

fact that a graffitist made the poster (compare to Hopps WW1 (very regarded))

https://sites.psu.edu/badiarclblog/2012/10/11/hope-poster-analysis/

All the posters have a direct face looking out, shows direction power (things both protest art and propaganda have)

Destroy this Mad Brute Research

'Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist (1917) by H.R. Hopps was an American Recruitment poster, which attacked Germany for their brutal actions in the Rape of Belgium. representing General Ludendorff who was one of the leaders in World War 1.

The German is depicted as a gorilla because Americans believed soldiers' actions throughout the Rape of Belgium were astonishing and horrific, making the soldiers barbaric.

She is displayed as feminine through her apparel and hair, submission to the abuse of others, and the fact that she is helpless. Lastly, France is demolished in the background; this portrays the destruction of German troops and their potential threat to America (more context taken from the imagery than the protest art.)

One can see that the actions of the Germans against women is related to woman’s association with the land. Nations are typically known as “she”. By taking over women, the soldiers were taking over the land of America.'

http://ahabbestad.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/destroy-this-mad-brute-enlist-by-hr.html

'In the other hand he is holding a half naked women, which probably represent the statue of liberty because she is wearing a similar dress and when entering America people, at that time, had to go by boat and the shortest way was to go to New York and the statue of liberty is in New York. It also represent the liberty of America so by stealing the statue of liberty like in the poster the gorilla or enemy is taking away their freedom and liberty. (compare to quote above)

The bottom of the image says 'enlist' – direct order compared to protest which usually states a truth not a command.

The gorilla is wearing a helmet and has a blond moustache (there is subtext- same with protest art)

The color aspect of the picture is mainly dark and depressing. We have the dark city in the background and the gloomy light over it turning into darkness by going further up. The part where the gorilla is standing is very dark too, saying that darkness is everywhere. (both use dark tones, suggesting that both protest and propaganda do this to have impact, to have a sharp, serious note,)

light blue dress, the light blue means innocence and goodness, contradicts with the evil black of the gorilla who is holding her in his arm. (In both the women is depicted as beautiful, elegant. Kruger does this ironically to make a point about... None the less this shows how populised poster designs usually depict a keener version of life that the general public are to aspire to. (quote poster book on how we have an ideal) ++ shows parallels of good and evil (you know which side you should be on.)

The purpose is to scare (whilst Obama's is to incure hope, Kruger is to incure strength.)

Your Body Is a Battleground Research

'Using a silkscreened frontal photograph of a model’s face, the artist gives the image additional meaning by dividing the large canvas it occupies into sections; from left to right, the bisected image reverses from positive to negative, and from top to bottom, the face is divided by the emblazoned slogan “Your body is a battleground.” Kruger critiques the objectified standard of symmetry that is applied to feminine beauty and perpetuated by media and advertising. The composition originally included more text and was designed as a poster for the massive pro-choice rally that took place on April 9, 1989, in Washington, D.C.'

http://www.thebroad.org/art/barbara-kruger

'The woman’s face, disembodied, split in positive and negative exposures, and obscured by text, marks a stark divide. This image is simultaneously art and protest. Though its origin is tied to a specific moment, the power of the work lies in the timelessness of its declaration.'

http://www.thebroad.org/art/barbara-kruger/untitled-your-body-battleground

'Powerful. Bizarre. Haunting. These are some of the words that come to mind with Barbara Kruger’s “Untitled (Your Body Is a Battleground.)” The frame crops the image in such a way that the viewer can see only the face of a woman. She stares directly ahead, towards the top—gazing at the viewer. A line starkly cuts through the middle of her symmetrical face: the left is a positive image; the right, a negative one. and the right is a negative production. And perhaps most startlingly, a sentence written in white letters and highlighted in red is superimposed upon the picture in three segments: “Your body is a battleground.”

The two halves of the image—the negative and the positive rendition—emphasize the twofold nature underlying this issue.

The figure is a perfected icon of beauty, with a symmetrical face and voluptuous lips. The image's history alludes to a societal fabrication of women.

As the stark line divides the figure’s face in half, the viewer’s attention is immediately drawn to the impeccable symmetry of the face; her eyebrows are exactly the same shape, almost as if one is a mirror reflection. The viewers come to read this image as a construct of society, a stereotypical image of how women should appear: she is an object of beauty.

In this image—a stereotypical depiction of women by society—the woman is no longer an individual. Rather, the depiction of the woman is a product of the society. By adding text, Kruger critiques the circumstances under which this image was originally produced.

This image would not have borne such a significant political message without Kruger’s captions. With Kruger’s decontextualization, the image reminds the viewer that these struggles aren’t isolated incidents but ones that women face on a daily basis.' (!!!!!!!!)

http://www.thecrimson.com/column/the-art-of-protest/article/2014/4/9/art-of-protest-your-body-is-a-battleground/

'unexpected phrases in order to catch the viewer's attention using the language of contemporary publications, grapic design, or magazines. Rather than attempting to sell a product, her works aim to sell an idea to the viewer that is meant to instigate a reconsideration of one's immediate context.

From her use of clearly legible font to her jarring palette of red, white, and black, each element of the final artwork is crucial to its effectiveness as both an artistic expression and a protest against facets of postmodern life.

photographic positive and negative sides, suggesting a highly simplified inner struggle of good versus evil.

stare straight ahead through the print, frankly addressing the viewer through both her gaze and the words emblazoned across her face.'

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kruger-barbara.htm

'Kruger has never been convinced of drastic oppositions – in her art there is no space for dichotomies between right and wrong, good and evil, linearity and degeneration. We are a whole, a holistic multitude of people who, despite heterogeneous political convictions and personal beliefs, live and communicate in the same space.

Kruger’s art has often been considered conceptual due to the irreplaceable importance of the language she uses, refers to, and values as a great method of communication; as a consequence, images are simple, usually in black and white, they don’t catalyze too much attention per se. It’s the combination between words and pictures, their solid interaction that impresses the viewer.'

http://www.tyci.org.uk/wordpress/your-body-is-a-battleground/

Triangulation and Referencing Essay Plan

Intro-
Propaganda and Protest have coexisted for many years...
Definition of propaganda posters
Definition of protest posters
Example

Propaganda- 
View 1
View 2
View 3

Protest-
View 1
View 2
View 3
(comparisons)

Similarities/differences 

Techniques

Conclusion- influence on modern society

Image Analysis Essay Research

Another book that has been particularly useful has been Posters: A concise History which has some incredible examples of propaganda and protest. This had some good explanations about what different techniques and what a poster needs to be successful. I also researched many of the designs inside, looking for the three images I would use for the image analysis essay; some of the images below were found in this book.

Potential Images:

1. Although this image cannot directly be linked to protest art as it was made for a record company, the bold design and style are classic indicators of liberal freedom. This image wasn't used however as the link to protest poster work is too tenuous and there is little critical reflection on the work. 
   
   
   
2. This second poster was made by Seymour Chwast during the Vietnam war. This was an act of protest, designed to poke fun at the underlying motives of war and the bureaucracy. Its a form of satire and was considered anarchy. This image again had much potential for analysis and ties in with propaganda with its mocking style of the war posters at the time, however the design is too simple. The text, although powerful, is all it consists of. I hope to find an image that can be explored for its visuals as well as the caption. 
   
3. "Workless" made by Gerald Spencer Pryse in 1910 for the British Labour campaign. The visuals of this piece are incredible and led to it being exhibited in 1914, due to the incredible painting skills. This would have been another good piece to explore, however I thought it wasn't defined as definitely protest or propaganda. The piece came from a governmental source yet the content is incredibly radical and humanitarian, fighting against the government in power. I hoped to explore classic pieces of propaganda and protest, not a piece like this which is harder to define. 
   
4. This poster, produced by E V Kealey in 1915 for the First World War British army recruitment campaign, shows the increasingly sophisticated and commercialised strategies employed by recruiters to encourage men to enlist. Although this is a classic example of propaganda which could have been scrutinised entirely, its a piece that I have studied before and I thought I would lack interest. Also the piece is very gentle and persuasive, it doesn't use the 'fear' tactic which was used in war propaganda and could be interesting to analyse.
   
5. Another poster campaign that could have been analysed was the Docklands Community Poster Project which was founded in 1981 by Loraine Leeson and Peter Dunn in response to the concerns of East London communities over an extensive proposed re-development programme. This was an important piece of protest and it stretched over many different people and could be considered a more contemporary example. This is a series I want to explore later in the project.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Final Images:

1. Hope by Shepaird Fairey (could look at Obey style as well) 

2. Destroy this Mad Brute by H.R.Hopps

3. Your Body is a Battleground by Barbra Kruger 

Propaganda: Truth and Lies in Wartime

I found this book in an art shop outside of Leeds randomly, yet the book was so inspiring I had to get it for my research. The book gives perfect examples of propaganda and depicts its history effortlessly. The designs although old, have descriptions that link them to different propaganda techniques and traits. This book should also prove useful for the second image analysis essay, for inspiration as well as context.