Presenting . . . Propaganda ⚠️
Thank you to everyone who participated in the propaganda collage month! Shield yourselves in the fortress of your mind, it’s time to see some propaganda:
“A More Perfect Dis/Unionism” by Meg Woods
Propaganda tries to create certainty where there is none. During the Reagan years propaganda had Americans banded together against the “bad” Evil Empire and the United States had a foil for its “good”-ness. When the Soviet Union fell, there was a struggling optimism about “the end of History”. This collage is set then—when there was at least an illusion of shared ideas about God and country and “Me” and concerns about the military and the environment and equality—in comparison to the commodified propaganda of hyper-partisan “certainty” we have today.
“Fight me” by Hannah Seo
I don’t know about you, but this was not a month for optimism! This collage worked as an exposure therapy of sorts to the ideas and aggression and polarization that tire me out and make me sad. And while I do believe there is a role for anger and confrontation in the process for change, I am highly averse to war/battle/fighting metaphors. But I kind of feel like this propaganda is everywhere?
“Our Answer: Alice Coltrane” by Eleanor Cummins
Fellow collage clubber Jess introduced me to Alice Coltrane a few months ago, and I haven't been able to stop listening to this woman's transcendent jazz music (or reading about her extremely cult leader vibes) since. This poster's message is simple: Join us.
Reminder: Please get working on our July theme — tribute — and please remember to share your creations with us via email at a.hannah.seo@gmail.com by the end of the month. Be sure to include a photo of your artwork, a title, and (optional) a short description of the piece and/or your process.
We’ll see you on August 1 with a whole new prompt (reminder to share prompt ideas HERE!) and a showcase of propaganda collages on August 15. Until then!