7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

1/9

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

2/9

INTRO

DUCTIO

N

TO

Miriam Webster Encyclopedia denes propaganda as thespreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purposeof helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.Through many mediums and methods, history has shown thedissemination of information in many creative venues, whichinclude art, lm, and literature.

Though looked at objectively and out of context, propagan-

da might appear bafing as to its powerful affect to inuencepeoples believes and call them to action. However, there issomething so repulsive yet captivating as to draw a viewerinto its work. Propaganda possesses a power call to emo-tion from its audience and calls them to align their ideas withthose portrayed in its work. American author Rita Mae Brownsaid, Art is moral passion married to entertainment. Moralpassion without entertainment is propaganda . When artcombines with propaganda, it incorporates moral passion to

otherwise entertainment-less content and creates a new emo-

tional dimension to an agenda.

Propaganda can be traced back to ancient empires. Goingback to as early as 1250 BC, Assyrian ruler King Tukulti-Nin-urta had an epic written about his military accomplishmentsover the Kassite people in order to demonstrate his powerfulleadership (Taylor). Darius I used The Behistun Inscription inabout 500 BC to create a history to what happened when herose to the Persian throne.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

3/9

The tool of persuasion makes it mark predominantly in times of battle and war whenone side needs compelling forces to gain support from their warriors and patrons.Propaganda uses some of the following theoretical techniques: fear appeals, Roleplayers: villians, victims, and the virtuous, name calling, and others (Conway).Propaganda laces its messages in both overtly and covertly mediums to appeal to tconditions of its audience.

Periods such as the French Revolution demonstrate an ability to deliver its political

agenda through subtle changes to painted scenes.The romantic era initiated the creation of subjective, emotionally charged material inartwork that later would forward its ideas into modernist and expressionist work later. The appeal of subjective material translated into political campaigns not only forFrench Revolutionaries, but later for Bolsheviks, Nazis, Fascists, and the US Democracy.

This exhibit will portray propaganda through artistic mediums thancorporate Romantic, Magical-Realist, Nationalist, Modernist, an

Avant Garde ideologies. The rooms are organized by countriesduring different political movements.

They are as follows:France during the French Revolution and Romantic MovementItaly during the Fascist nationalist movementGermany during World War II and Nazi communismUnited States during World War II and its modernist movementRussia during Bolshevik revolution and avant garde movement

PROJECT BY: HILLARYMILLECAMDECEMBER 12, 2012IHUM 202 SEC 002 ANCEL

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

4/9

FRENCH

REVOLU

TION

JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID THE DEATH OF MARAT (1748), ROYAL MUUM OF FINE ART, BELGIUM

EUGNE DELACROIX - LA LIBERT GUIDANT LE PEUPLE (1830), MUSEDU LOUVRE, FRANCE

David changed an ordinarsubject into a martyr victiwhen he painted The Deaof Marat. Marat was a radcal journalist who died froCharlotte Corday as he sahis bath. Corday killed Mabecause she was an enem

political ideology and sawas the inciter of the SepteMassacre.

While the actual scene mahave been more objectiveDavid added details - suchthe contents of his letter, tsoftness in his face - to evshock, terror, and awe intoFrench viewers so David cset his political revolution

agenda.

Davids painting has becoone of the most famous imof the French Revolution.

Translated to Liber-ty Leading the Peo-ple, Delacroixs workstands as a leadingexample of the Frenchromantic movement.Liberty leads the sol-diers into the end ofthe French Revolution

and the end of the Age of Enlightenmentas well.

A prodominant characteristic of romanti-cism revolved around the idea of defying

aristocratic and political norms. Treadingover corpses and bearing bare breasts,Liberty leads in the new era of Frenchpolitics.

Liberty Leading the People, depicts the French Revolution as an emotional experience.Through light colors surrounding a woman who might not be present in the real situation,Delacroix expresses his eagerness and optimism for a new society.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

5/9

FASCIST

ITALY

ARCHI, ARTIST - AIUTATECI A VINCERE! (HELP US TO WIN!) ITALIAN PRO-

AGANDA POSTER, C.1941. PRIVATE COLLECTION. PRINT.

rector Giovanni Pastrone helped write GabrieleAnnunzios work to re-establish a nationalisticlture and ideal when they created the rst epic

ovie, Cabiria. DAnnunzios work followed traitsFrench Symbolism and Friedrich Nietzsches

eology. Though he rejected fascism, he was con-dered the inspiration to Mussolinis emotional-charged propaganda to serve the country as thealian Hero.

abiria tells the story of the Sicilian hero Macisteho saves Cabiria from Carthaginians portrayed asualistic savages who plan to sacrice the girltheir Gods.

ussolini shaped his public image as a Macistechetype. Maciste is a common name for many

lian heroes. By re-establishing Maciste with oldoman stories, Pastrone and Annunzio demon-rate to Italian viewers how the ideal Italian shouldhave, how nationalism demonstrates the best Italian heroism.

GIOVANNI PASTRONE, GABRIELLE DANNUNZIO CABIRIA LATINFILMS, TURIN, ITALY. 1914. FILM.

In 1941 when Help us to Win! was released, Italy joineGermany in the last year as an Axis power. The Axispowers had most control of Europe and assumed a quivictory soon, thus they relied on using the inevitablewin tactic to appeal to those they were calling to actioto invest in war bonds.

While Help Us to Win clearly attributes nationalismto Italy, its design uses characters of romanticism: the

character depicts strong, subjective emotions of na-

tionalistic support as well as awe at the Italian infantry-man. The soldier has no realist background him besidewhat could be assumed to be war explosions. HelpUs to Win portrays a aesthetic feeling of courage, per-sistence, and loyalty.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

6/9

GERMAN SCHOOL - THE SCOURGE OF MANKIND, POLAND, C.1943. BRIDGEMAN ART

BRARY. COLOUR LITHO.

Kultur Terror epitomizes Nazi an-ti-Americanism. It uses words such asMiss America, Ku Klux Klan, MissVictory, and Worlds Most BeautifulLeg to describe the large machine mon-ster coming across the sea from theStatue of Liberty to destroy Europe. TheDutch caption translates to The USA willsave European culture from decline.

The Nazi organizations used this propa-ganda to run their agenda of a superiorculture by criticizing aspects of negativeAmerican culture: anti-black violence withthe Ku Klux Klan hood, sexual laxnesswith the revealing leg and almost-naked

Miss America, and general violencewith the gangster hand holding a gun, abomb foot, as well as the noose hanging

ff the black arm. The Nazis used scare and anxiety tactics to incite fear ofhe USA in European viewers.

HARALD DAMSLETH - LIBERATORS - KULTUR TERROR. NETHERLANDS1944. DUTCH SS-STORM. PRINT

Anti-Semitic took second priority to World War Two pro-

aganda in Nazi Germany. The Nazi parties in Europesed their art to propel their consumers to take action

gainst their already disfavored Jewish neighbors. An-

-Semitic propaganda often portrayed Jews in an emo-

onally frightening way, using strong light contrasts on

heir faces and characterizing them with large noses and

tars of David.

Anti-Semitic art represented Sigmund Freuds modern-

st concept of creating a completely subjective reality

y changing the Germans perception of an entire race

f people. Playing to the mind with shocking, emotional

work, Nazi campaigns used strong emotional appeals to

reate a more subjective perception to an already vulner-

ble German society.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

7/9

Modernism raised questions of traditional gender roleand presented a period that accepted more feminism.Many female artists arose during the modernist peri-od. World War II had a demand for women to take rolethat men in that day typically lled. Not only did womefulll the jobs the men did before they left for war, butthey were also encouraged to keep working hard andcontribute.

Soldiers Without Guns reects the same messagefrom the similar and famous advertisement / propaganda, We Can Do It! with Rosy the Riveter: boost workmorale and continue to support the troops overseas.Treidler portrays the women in a very realist style: common objects, relevant clothing styles, and everythingthat could be conceivably present in a photograph.

UNITED STATES DEPTARTMENT OF THE TREASURY BUY WAR BONDSUSA. 1944. PRINT.

America used mostly posters to sendtheir propaganda agenda. They wereprinted and posted in places where ad-vertisements were absent, including in

private homes, railroad stations, andretail stores. Posters were created by vol-untary artists who contributed to the Of-ce of War Information Bureau of Graph-ics, an agency designated by Franklin D.Roosevelt.

The unknown artist who created the de-piction of Uncle Sam leading the troopsinto war and advocating US citizens to

buy war bonds took artistic inuencefrom modernist ideas. The ghter planesand weapons demonstrate the age ofindustrial revolution. The art echoes thecolor themes of Liberty Leading the People where a romantic, idealishero leads a group of shaded troops into victory. Inspired by the romtic French work, Buy War Bonds uses expressionism in its soft, coceptual paint strokes to convey the emotions of nationalistic strengthover the darkness of war.

ADOLPH TREIDLER - SOLDIERS WITHOUT GUNS 1941-1945. U.S. ARMY OFFICIAL POSTER.PRINT.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

8/9

Kulaginas posters were some of th

most expressive work from female

artists in the 20th century. Her work

reects the 1915 Russian art move-

ment called suprematism that focus

on geometric forms and described

founder Kazimer Malevich as the s

premacy of pure artistic feeling. Kginas larger-than-life soldiers and a

planes have a very straight, geomet

structure that echoes the artistic fo

Kulaginas suprematism reects th

school of thought in modernism: re

jecting realism and conveying subj

tive images. Kulagina uses a cubist

perspective and multidimensional ptrayal of both soviet soldiers as we

factories to convey the importance

both forces defending the USSR. Th

white airplane silhouettes are both geometric in shape and reject real

proportions as they y in front of the soldiers.

RUSSIANCOM

MUNISM

VALENTINA KULAGINA - TO DEFEND USSR. RUSSIA, 1930. PEOPLREPUBLIC OF CHINA. PRINT.

RTEL LISSITZKY BEAT THE WHITES WITH THE RED WEDGE 1920. RUSSIA. LITHOGR

ssitzky is an early Soviet propaganda art-

t who uses the inuences of avant gardeodernism in his work. Russia faced a civil

ar between the communist and the royalist

arties in the early 1900s. The white in the

ork represents the royalists and the red

presents the Bolshevik party.

Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge is a

hographic piece that shows the tactics that

e Bolsheviks used when ghting the royal-

t party. The simple red triangle design is a

otif used in many other leftist international

arties as well as Franz Ferdinands album

t for the single, This Fire.

7/29/2019 Propaganda Art Exhibit

9/9