Obama 'Hope' Poster

On the subject of political posters and the Guardian newspaper, there was a story run earlier this week about the above design by Shepard Fairey which has seemingly become a cult image across America during the presidential race. The piece by Laura Barton described how, despite not being officially endorsed by the Obama campaign, the guerilla poster has been embraced and utilised by the public all over the country.


Trying to find out a bit more, I found the interview below from the Henry Rollins Show last year in which Fairey discusses the idea of phenomenology which characterised his famous 'Obey/Andre The Giant has a Posse' street art campaign. His descriptions of the power and purpose of visual imagery in our public space is very interesting, notions the 'Obey' campaign sought to illuminate and it would appear his 'Hope' piece has also transcended, obviously with a far more conspicuous subject.



Following on from this interview, the illuminating arguments of this article on LA artist Mark Vallen's site named 'Art for Change' (there's the number one Obama buzzword) are stirring rebuke. The article highlights Fairey's history of plagiarism of a wide range of political artworks and icons, from the SS Skull moniker to Communist revolutionary and Civil Rights posters from around the world.

"You Decide"

Guardian WW1 Posters

An collection of First World War propaganda posters were given away in yesterday's Guardian. It is interesting to compare the various examples visually; I feel they outline some very distinctive, individual characteristics in their mood, colour, composition, use of language and typography, as well as reflecting respective contemporary artistic styles. All are strong rallying calls, some perhaps with more nationalistic fervour than others.


"Russia - 1917 - Red Navy propaganda poster: 'Long live the vanguard of the revolution'" - Stark, strong composition with simple, comprehensive application of colour (similar to modern tabloids: red, black, white). Hand-made, skill and craft. Futurist.


"Britain - 1913-1918 - Army poster depicting a German zeppelin over London" - Straightforward, bold, resolute, realistic (suggestion of a dreaded future scenario) No-nonsense and strong; facing facts, painting a picture, do something about it.


"US - 1918 - Government poster advertising bonds to finance the American war effort" - Bright, confident, assured; stripes of flag on Uncle Sam's trouser leg. Powerful. Smart leather boot stamping down from above; might, force, overwhelming.


"France - 1918 - Poster for a Parisian Bank aimed at English investors, 'Allied in War, United in Peace'" - Decadent, libertarian, free. Artistic, intellectual; decorative and elegant style


"Germany - 1917 - 'The Kaiser and his people thank the Army and Navy; Christmas gifts from Frankfurt'" - Clean, focussed, determined. Clinical, impersonal (eyes of soldiers masked)

Programme! Get yer programme!

While I was over I got along to see Celtic's wins over Motherwell and Kilmarnock.

There is a great stall out the back of the Lisbon Lions stand (Janefield Street) that sells Celtic match programmes going back to the 50's and 60's. Some of the ones from European ties in particular are beautiful. I bought these two back with me: games against clubs from two cities I visited during the summer. The Red Star Belgrade challenge match programme features an article about Celtic's record (up to then) against Eastern European opposition - from this I discovered that the home tie against Wisla Krakow in 1976 ended 2-2 before Celtic were knocked out of the competition in Poland in the second leg, losing 2-0 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate. My scant internet research into the outcome of the Red Star challenge match has yielded no results as yet.



The guys who run this stall keep a website: Glasgow Programmes. They have a huge collection for sale from a whole variety of Scottish and English clubs down the years. Some other Celtic covers taken from this site I am fond of:

Aye right, pal

I spent a few days in Scotland last week, visiting family and friends in Motherwell. On Monday I took the train over to Edinburgh, a place I've never been before. I arrived in at Waverley Station not really knowing where to go or what to look for, so I just spent the day wandering about the city.

On a cold, windy November morning there didn't seem to be anybody else about than well-heeled, middle-aged his & hers North-Face-jacket-and-warm-hat wearing European visitors. I felt a right tourist walking around, but was also struck by how quiet the place seemed.


Sky over the Castle


Castle from the Cowgate


Holyrood House gates


At the top of the Grassmarket, I went into the National Library. Currently on show here are the archives of publisher John Murray who established his publishing house in 1768. He was responsible for putting out the work of Lord Byron, Jane Austen and Charles Darwin amongst other seminal writers of the 19th Century. The exhibition was pretty good: the collections of letters, momentos and other personal belongings from each of the writers were on display in a room decorated like Murray's original office, with touch screens giving the stories behind every article. Next door to this exhibit was a preview of the National Burns Collection which will be shown across Scotland in 2009, the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth.

I also had a look in at the City Arts Centre. In the new year they are exhibiting a collection of Bob Dylan's paintings and drawings, called The Blank Drawn Series.

AOB: Other things I discovered during this day, the arts/cultural magazines The Skinny and Variant. I am a big fan of Irvine Welsh but didn't get to visit sunny Leith; maybe next time, ken.

ICAD Upstarts Exhibition, 2008

Exhibition set-up

Yesterday afternoon in the Rothco gallery.

'The Big I Am' microsite goes on-air

Check out Austin Maguire's guide to the fresh-faced talent on show at the 2008 Upstarts Exhibition.