Valentine Bonnaire

When I first saw the political posters of Barack Obama I’ll admit, these were the most stunning. From a graphic design standpoint. Just like his logo, these things have been crafted by real artists. Art is a very powerful force. Like Meghan Daum from the Los Angeles Times, I have some questions about the image and the slogans. We’ve seen stuff like this before, but not here in America for a politician. Not until now.

Here is a link to the artist…

The problem with this type of art and mass postering? When you call the posters “pasters” as Shepard Fairey has? Then we cross over a line into a place where art is doing something else, just like it has in the past in other countries.

Daum says:

“…The Obama poster has spread Fairey’s fame, but is the image good for the candidate? Like the photograph-turned-icon of Che Guevara — which graces the T-shirts of countless hipsters who barely know who the guy is — Fairey’s Obama poster is rooted in the graphic style of agitprop. There’s an unequivocal sense of idol worship about the image, a half-artsy, half-creepy genuflection that suggests the subject is (a) a Third World dictator whose rule is enmeshed in a seductive cult of personality; (b) a controversial American figure who’s been assassinated; or (c) one of those people from a Warhol silk-screen that you don’t recognize but assume to be important in an abstruse way…”

It’s curious that Fairey is also designing a cover for Orwell’s “1984″ — I liked what he did with that, but these “pastors” for Obama? No. Why? Because just like in the Orwell book, the “proletariat” (the uneducated masses) are not going to recognize PROPAGANDA when they see it. It works for Communists, Dictators and Fascists, but not American Presidents.

Obama is very stupid if he thinks he can pull off a PROPAGANDA campaign here in the United States at this moment in time. Is he trying to represent himself as a FASCIST leader? That Axelrod is not smart enough to see what will be done when the press in America explores this?

Which Dictator is Obama aligning himself with?

Here is some communist propaganda to start. Propaganda posters are known for their strong harsh use of contrast and color. Using a design like this harks back to the 30’s — it’s retro that way and also appeals to the current craze for all things Bauhaus, Neutra and 1960. These things look fresh to 30 year olds right now, as do things designed in the 70’s.

Warhol was known for his avant garde silkscreens of “famous people” and modernesque look at labels and target-marketing of package design.

Is Fairey channeling Warhol? Or not? It’s street art, mural art and media splash all at once. It’s the Fauve-esque color that gives this stuff its punch.

Here is some Warhol…on Monroe…

And Warhol on Soup…(courtesy of MOMA)

(for those unfamiliar with this type of imagery in art)

Here is art (as Daum has reported above) used for a different purpose..

As political propaganda…recognize the style?

(to be continued…)  One thing about Propaganda posters?  They always have a slogan at the bottom, just like this…and just like Obama’s.