The art of dissent: when it comes to trying to sway public opinion, provocative images can be potent tools.A picture, it's often said, is worth a thousand words. Images can be powerful tools for selling a product, as the ad agencies along Madison Avenue Madison Avenue, celebrated street of Manhattan, borough of New York City. It runs from Madison Square (23d St.) to the Madison Bridge over the Harlem River (138th St.). In the 1940s and 50s, some of the major U.S. well know. They can also help sell ideas, as politicians, protesters, and anybody who wants to express their opinion have long demonstrated. Whether criticizing government leaders, commenting on issues in the news, or raising awareness Raising awareness is a common phrase advocacy groups use to justify a particular event, brochure or even the entire organization. Raising awareness refers to alerting the general public that a certain issue exists and should be approached the way the group desires. of issues that aren't in the spotlight, provocative images can be an effective way to get attention. The images on these pages are reprinted from The Design of Dissent, by Milton Glaser Milton Glaser (born June 26, 1929) is a graphic designer, best known for the I Love New York logo, his "Bob Dylan" poster, and the "DC bullet" logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968. and Mirko Ilic (Rockport Publishers, 2005), a collection of protest posters and other imagery from the past five years, as well as some older material. The subjects covered range from the Iraq war Iraq War: see under Persian Gulf Wars. Iraq War or Second Persian Gulf War Brief conflict in 2003 between Iraq and a combined force of troops largely from the U.S. and Great Britain; and a subsequent U.S. and modern technology, to the dangers of smoking and America's two-party political system. In a foreword to the book, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner writes about what makes a powerful protest image: "It is shocking, it is clever--even funny in a grim sort of way--and its meaning is instantly intelligible." As you look at the images here, keep in mind that those in power at any given moment are the most likely targets of protest and dissent. It's not surprising, then, that there are a lot of people poking fun at President Bush and his policies these days (see p. 17), just as President Clinton was a popular target during his years in the White House. You may not agree with all the sentiments expressed in these images; in fact, some of them might make you angry. But that's part of the point: Whether you like them or not, they make an impression. 1 UNABLE In this 1995 poster, the artist uses a helpless turtle--with a U.N. peace keeper's helmet as his shell--to symbolize an equally helpless U.N. In the early 1990s, the U.N. failed to resolve the conflict in Bosnia, a part of the former Yugoslavia, where a civil war raged despite the efforts of U.N. peace keepers. [Yossi Lemel Israel, 1995] 2 PRINTED IN USA The artist is commenting on how fingerprints have become Like barcodes, making people as easy to monitor as items in the supermarket. U.S. Customs now fingerprints foreign visitors as they enter the country, part of the effort to increase security after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Note the 'words' in the barcode. [Emek, U.S., 2003] 3 COCA-COLONIZATION A comment on the pervasiveness and the impact of American corporate brands around the world, including in poor third-world countries. [Chaz Maviyane-Davies, U.S., 2000] 4 STOP THE PLANT This poster was part of a campaign against the construction of a cement plant along the Hudson River Hudson River River, New York, U.S. Originating in the Adirondack Mountains and flowing for about 315 mi (507 km) to New York City, it was named for Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629. in upstate New York Upstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area. It has a population of 7,121,911 out of New York State's total 18,976,457. Were it an independent state, it would be ranked 13th by population. . Opponents of the plant said it would emit millions of pounds of pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. each year and endanger public health. [Woody Pirtle/Pentagram, U.S., 2003] 5 G.M.O. FOOD This image of a Lemon sprouting hair is from a poster commenting on the genetic modification of food. The unpleasant image is intended to warn against the unknown consequences of 'messing with Mother Nature.' [Jarek Bujny, Poland, 2004] 6 PAY US TO KILL YOU The artist's grandmother died after a Long battle with emphysema emphysema (ĕmfĭsē`mə), pathological or physiological enlargement or overdistention of the air sacs of the lungs. A major cause of pulmonary insufficiency in chronic cigarette smokers, emphysema is a progressive disease that commonly , inspiring this poster countering cigarette ads that don't talk about the health risks associated with smoking. [G. Dan Covert, U.S., 2001] 7 PARTY ANIMALS This poster is a playful, protest against what the artist sees as the limited choices offered by America's two-party system A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate the voting in nearly all elections. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by the two major parties. . [Thomas Porostocky, U.S., 2004] 8 FIRST & LAST IMPRESSION A protest against police brutality Police brutality is a term used to describe the excessive use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats by police officers and other law enforcement officers. The term may also be used to apply to such behavior when used by prison officers. created for the human-rights organization Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI,) human-rights organization founded in 1961 by Englishman Peter Benenson; it campaigns internationally against the detention of prisoners of conscience, for the fair trial of political prisoners, to abolish the death penalty and torture of by an artist from one of the former Yugoslav republics. [Tomato Kosir, Slovenia, 2000] 9 WAR WEAR RIFLE Rifle is a trendy Italian jeans company. The poster is meant to contrast consumer-driven lifestyles with the horrors of war. [Tomato Kosir, Slovenia, 20001] 10 HUMAN TRAFFICKING This poster calls attention to the global problem of human trafficking. Traffickers recruit mostly women and young girls, promising a job or a new rife abroad, but instead coerce them into prostitution or forced tabor Tabor, in the Bible. 1 Mt. Tabor. 2 Levitical city. 3 Oak (AV mistranslates "plain"), near Bethel, on Saul's way home after his anointing. . [Alex-Briseno & Hernan Ibanez, U.S., 2004] 11 CHILDREN AT WAR Variations on road signs are frequently used in protest images because they're universally understood. This poster is a call to abolish the use of child soldiers, which is especially prevalent in Africa. [Woody Pirtle/Pentagram, U.S., t999] 12 GOT OIL? In a parody of the "Got Milk?" ad campaign for the American Dairy Association, President Bush is shown with an oil mustache. [Nenad Cizl & Toni Tomasek, Slovenia, 2004] 13 WAR ON TERROR This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. For other conflicts, see Terrorism. The War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism The creators of this poster suggest that the war on terror is having the same effect as pouring gasoline on a fire, [Marty Neumeier & Josh Levine, U.S., 2004] 14 LET MY PEOPLE GO The artist uses the Communist hammer and sickle hammer and sickle n. An emblem of the Communist movement signifying the alliance of workers and peasants. hammer and sickle Noun in a poster protesting the former Soviet Union's policy of prohibiting Jews from emigrating. [Dan Reisinger Dan Reisinger (b. 1934) is an Israeli designer of graphics, exhibitions, and stage sets. He was born in Kanjiža, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), into a family of painters and decorators active in Austria-Hungary and the Balkans. , Israel, 1969] LESSON PLAN 3: COVER STORY THE ART OF DISSENT BACKGROUND Black-and-white posters (broadsheets) date back 500 years. Color became more common in the 19th century, as printing technology advanced. In the mid-1800s, French artists pioneered the use of mass-produced posters. In the U.S., color military recruitment Military recruitment is the act of requesting people, usually male, to join a military voluntarily. Involuntary military recruitment is conscription. Recruitment is necessary to maintain an effective standing army in countries that have abolished conscription or which operate a posters were first widely used during World War I. BEFORE READING * Have students look at each poster before reading the accompanying descriptions. Which are self-explanatory? Which require reading the descriptions to understand the artist's message? CRITICAL THINKING * Examine a few of the posters that might be open to different interpretations. Look at poster #8, for example. Does it make too broad a statement about police, or does it identify a small but ongoing problem? * What about poster #13? Are the artists saying that the U.S. is addicted to foreign oil? Could they be implying that the U.S. will do anything to protect its supply of oil? What else could they be saying? Do you agree or disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people" hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" their point(s)? CLASS EXERCISE * Ask students to make a list of social or political issues they would like to see addressed in a protest poster. Examples could include such issues as poverty, drug abuse, child abuse, street gangs, or any topical political debate. * Have students describe and/or design visual images that would communicate their messages. WRITING PROMPTS * Have students write text to accompany the posters they've designed, using the text in the article as a guide. * Have students write a 50-word statement in which they identify the poster they find most intriguing and effective and explain why they think that poster does its job so well. FAST FACT [right arrow] The "Coca-Colonization" poster is reminiscent of "Coca-Colonialism," a term that appeared originally in France in the late 1950s to characterize the influence of U.S. brands and culture around the world. |
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