further research

I have got out some more books to read:

'Propaganda Prints' - Colin Moore
 - 'a history of art in the service of social and political change'. It gives an overview of propaganda used from the very beginning, going through the middle ages, machine age and then to the modern world. But it has a big chunk about the Russian revolution and the nazis in the early 20th century section. 

'Propaganda! Russian and Norwegian posters 1920-1939' - (multiple authors) Yelena Barkhatova, Daniela Buchten, Denis Solovev, Vibece Salthe
- it starts with academic essays written by the various authors about the topic of propaganda around the time of the revolution and wars. The next section of the book is pages of significant posters with detailed descriptions and analysis.

'Age of Propaganda: the everyday use and abuse of persuasion' Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson
- it explores all the persuasion techniques to influence what we buy, how we vote, what we think etc. it doesn't necessarily focus on my time period but it does look a bit at Hitler's methods. It's useful because of the psychology element connected to the book, looking at how this kind of manipulation actually works and how we can stop it. 

practical ideas

What i find really interesting is the power of the posters - and how they were produced and distributed on such a massive scale. In one of the books I read it talked about how just overnight a whole city would be completely covered in one party's posters and that it would take a team of very skilled and quick individuals to do the task.

I thought this could be an interesting starting point for the practical - maybe looking at creating a narrative surrounding this mission - I think some interesting scenes could be made from this subject matter. 

possible essay structure

I've been having trouble coming up with an essay question, I know my theme and what I want to research but I can't focus on a question or argument for the direction of the essay. Some thoughts so far:

'to what extent was the success of totalitarian governments down to their use of propaganda posters and are their design techniques being used in modern society?'

'Exploring whether the success of the Russian revolution and nazi Germany was down to use of mass persuasion within their propaganda poster'

I want to explore the Russian revolution because I love the art movements that came out of it and surrounding it at the time - constructivism, and the whole act of revolting against the dictator for this utopian idea of communism, although it eventually went downhill, I find that initial time period 1917-1924, before Stalin came into power, really interesting. The posters were so well designed and bold.
I also want to look at the Nazi's because I'm interested in the whole idea of 'branding' that Hitler used, he managed to manipulate a huge amount of people using really clever design/advertising techniques which I think will be interesting to explore. Also the poster aesthetic is similar to that of the Russians with the simple, block design which was very different to poster design before that.

I don't know where to go from there though, I am unsure of whether to then look at modern examples of propaganda (possibly ISIS, or how politicians sell themselves now?) or how the propaganda techniques are used to advertise now? Or to not relate it to modern society at all.

possible structure:
chapter 1

• introduction - brief history of propaganda, why it is around, who it is aimed at, where it started, general overview of importance of poster
• general talk of both examples - Russia and Germany, history of revolution and ww2, why the propaganda was needed
• differences between communism and fascism, but similar uses of propaganda, how necessary it was as a tool of communication.

chapter 2

• look at design techniques used within posters - patterns, symbols, colour - their meaning and effect on people?
• look at art movements surrounding posters (constructivism, bauhaus?)
• make links between propaganda and advertising
• look and idea of 'branding' with a political leader
• look at the psychology behind the propaganda - why it was so successful

chapter 3

• look at politics today in a democratic society, how different it is - are there any similarities?
• modern day propaganda - ISIS, north Korea? 
• is propaganda more or less successful now there are so many platforms for it to be broadcasted?
• conclusion - sum up the importance of design within propaganda, and how much it influenced the people leading to the success of the Russian revolution and nazi Germany (before they lost the war)

iron fists

Another book - 'Iron Fists: branding the 20th century totalitarian state' by  Steven Heller. This is the most relevant book I've found so far to my theme as it concentrates specifically on the Nazi and Communist Russia propaganda, as well as fascist Italy and communist China, which is what I want to base my essay around. It explores all the design techniques - specific reoccurring symbols, patterns, type within the posters which helped create a 'brand' for all four dictators which I think is really interesting. The book continually makes comparisons to advertising campaigns for products - as the totalitarian states are trying to sell themselves as leaders of some sort of utopian world while using very similar techniques as companies. 

quotes I've gathered so far:

The book looks at the propaganda graphics created by the totalitarian governments – the iconography they produced that were universally recognised as their brand, illustrating how all the elements were ‘put to disturbingly effective use in selling the totalitarian message’. The book focuses on how 4 of the most destructive regimes proved to be extremely creative in their use of branding strategies to sell their political messages.

‘the diabolically effective ways in which their propaganda machinery created powerful visual narratives to seduce their respective populations. In each case they developed unique visual schemes that triggered immediate recognition. The symbols and design objects devised as rallying points were so alluring on aesthetic as well as formalistic levels that they captured the attention of the world’ pg9

Obviously the views and concepts of parties such as the Nazis were horrifying and unacceptable, however their propaganda was extremely effective in aestheticising these views into something the public thought they wanted. They managed to manipulate so many people into voting and following Hitler, a lot of this success was down to the 'brand' the Nazi party created for itself, it was very thought out and planned. 

‘effective branding is centred on a core narrative, and these totalitarian regimes offered two parallel stories, one rooted in hate, the other projecting a utopian future’
‘Hitler’s rant against the jews was inextricably linked to the nazi belief that the german superiority would lead to world domination. Lenin exhorted workers of the world to break the shackles of despised capitalism to achieve the utopian freedoms of a classless society.’
the posters were used to promise the people something the parties knew they wanted 

Aldus Huxley wrote “the survival of democracy depends on the ability of large numbers of people to make realistic choices in the light of adequate information. A dictatorship on the other hand, maintains itself by censoring or distorting the facts, and by appealing, not to reason, but to passion and prejudice, to the powerful ‘hidden forces’, as Hitler called them, present in the hidden depths of every human mind.” Pg 10
Hitler did a lot of research into statistics surrounding the public - taken from companies - of what they wanted and responded well to, so to then use that information to create his own advertisement of himself

Huxley wrote, “There are no masterpieces, for masterpieces appeal to a limited audience” ‘and the propagandist  - the branding expert – has to reach as many people as possible. Even though some of the individual artefacts are remarkably well designed and crafted, the ideal was to attain what Huxley called, “moderate excellence” which is appealing but never goes over anyone’s head’
the posters had to appeal to everyone - most of the public would be lower class, or possibly illiterate so couldn't be too complicated or specific to one audience. 

revolutionary tides (first 3 categories)

Another book, more relevant to my theme - 'Revolutionary Tides: the Art of the Political Poster 1914-1989' by ...... It explores the different categories of political posters and their patterns of design which are used to create certain responses. It is useful because it looks at all political posters within that time period so there is some analysis between the different types of political parties and countries - Britain, America, Russia, France etc. 

The book talks about how important posters were in terms of revolution - when information was spread mostly by print

‘The face of revolution had been transformed…. Political power, the institutions of government, the law itself, now derive their legitimacy not from the divine right of kings but from the populace itself’

‘from the start modern revolutions have depended on forms of mass persuasion and communication – broadsheets, radio, posters, television – to build consensus as well as to promote partisan causes, to educate as well as to mobilise and excite.’ Pg 20

In Russia, much of the population were illiterate so the illustrations on the posters were essential in sending a message - they needed to be clear and uncomplicated. 

‘the print runs were so large and so potentially visible within the public sphere that, in most countries, posters eventually came under the authority of the state…. Throughout most of the industrialised world, controls were also gradually extended regarding the surfaces and locations on which posters could be mounted.

The mere challenge of posting such enormous numbers of sheets required an army of well organised and skilled affixers, often state employees or party militants working at dusk, able to deploy quickly and uniformly within a city’

‘the city as a whole was to awaken and find itself dressed up in a fresh set of clothes’ pg 21 (look at this for practical?)

“collage city” – Colin Rowe ‘an environment saturated with patchwork patterns of repetitions and disjunctions, with the very materiality of poster-encrusted walls coming to embody the accelerated and compressed temporality and spatiality of modern life’ pg 22

The posters were so effective in how they manipulated people that the government began to take charge of what posters were allowed to be printed - because they would cover the whole city after one night. They were extremely influential in the rise of the Russian Revolution against the government. 

The different categories of poster:

THE MARCH

George Kibardin 'Let's build a squadron of dirigibles in Lenin's name' 1931

‘examines the presentation of crowds arrayed as army-like fronts… they occupy public thoroughfares, squares, and parks and target places of political significance in what amounts to the performance of symbolic acts of territorial conquest. Marches assume a central role in the art of the political poster.’ pg 13

‘formations, whether linear, quadrangular or wedge shaped, become the mark of the collectives power, expressing clarity of intention and unanimity of will. As such, they become dominant features in the art of the political poster’ pg 26

‘in the modern era an array of intermediate forms of protest and persuasion develops that allow the populace to express its will beyond electoral politics. These forms draw their inspiration from religious and military practices’ pg 26

THE MASS ORNAMENT 

Hattingberg 'We'll do it with the manual' 1937

‘concerned with the abstraction of multitudes into decorative patterns or backgrounds. On the one hand, the collectivity finds itself transformed into geometrical figures by the manipulation of photographs’

‘on the other, it is treated as an abstract backdrop: the multitude becomes the ground over which hovers the figure of the mass leader or the modern state’ pg14

‘mass ornaments can be understood as allegories of the collectivity’s united desires and social aspirations’ pg38

‘everywhere in 20^th century political poster art… the poster becomes an idealising mirror in which the collectivity can gaze upon itself either in action or as the necessary background for social change.’

ANATOMIES OF THE MULTITUDE

‘crowds rarely appear in these images, except in the symbolic form of hands, arms, ears and mouths, sometimes severed, sometimes attached.’

‘anatomies demonstrates how the organs and extremities of the human body – all having a long history as symbols of the intent of gods, monarchs, or other ruling elites – become systematically identified with the actions, desires and fears of the collectivity in 20^th century poster art’ pg 14

‘such figurative considerations helped poster artists solve an otherwise intractable problem. How to represent the collective will…? The solution was to identify single features of the human body with single actions of the collectivity; to create a symbolic anatomy of the multitude here reduced to seven operations involving hands, arms, ears and the human voice’ pg46

the fist

'Forward' artist unknown 1943/4

‘clenched, the hand is reattached to the arm so that together they may assert their strength, their defiance, their potential as a weapon. The fist rises up directly out of the people with the scales of justice; it bursts the chains of injustice; it lends its strength to the national army; it inflicts the enemy’s brand on the innocent’ pg47

the salute

'Your yes for the Fuhrer on 4th December' artist unknown 1938

'the fist opens up into a proliferation of signs, of peace, of victory, of recognition of the sacred bond between individual citizen and leader’ pg53

pointing the finger

Art Studio no.62 'To assist the industrial and financial plan, lets organise a production comrades court' 1931

'the finger points as an expression of the popular vote; it denounces enemies and traitors; it underscores key political objectives and causes. What was once the hand of god becomes the hand of the body politic’ pg56

the open hand

John Heartfield 'the hand has five fingers, with five, you will strike down the enemy! Chose list five, the Communist party!' 1928

'the hand leaves traces on a wall in the wake of a massacre; its fingers extend a welcome, becoming an invitation to vote for a given party’s election list; it pushes back and pushes off. Endowed with claws, it becomes the grasping hand of an enemy collectivity; whether socialist forces from within or an army invading from without.’ Pg59

the handshake

Sabinsky and Vesely 'Without the Russian October Revolution there would be no 5th May' 1945

'when two hands meet, a social pact comes into being: among workers themselves, between social classes, between labour and industry, the army, the state of the nation. A handshake seals the deal’ pg 62

the crowd's voice and ear

'1st October - all-union day of the shock worker' artist unknown 1931

'ideally, the political crowd speaks in the single voice of virtue and truth, either as a chorus or as an individual entrusted with the task of representing the collectivity. In reality, it is a realm of differences and debate, animated by a mix of facts, opinions, impressions, gossip, public secrets and private information that can become an object of scrutiny both by the state and by its enemies, particularly during times of social turmoil and military conflict. Exposed to the vast proliferation of information and technologies of eavesdropping and surveillance, the public receives a mixed message. Exercise your freedoms; discipline your mouth and ears’ pg66