first essay draft

Discuss the role that Illustration can play during periods of political and/or social upheaval.

In this essay I am going to talk about the role that illustration plays in times of political and social upheaval. Illustration can have many names when it comes to times of political and social upheaval, including propaganda, which is what I’m going to focus on in this essay. In a book by Nicholas J.O Shaughnessy named ‘Politics and Propaganda’ he states ‘to attempt to define Propaganda is to tread lightly upon a conceptual minefield.’ Meaning that there is no true definition for propaganda, but it is how you yourself define it.

Propaganda has been around for many years, and has been used as a platform for Artists and Illustrators to produce work relating to the views and opinions of an individual.

There are also many different types of Illustration that play a part within propaganda ranging from Graffiti to Posters. One of the things I would like to focus on first is Graffiti. Banksy is a very famous graffiti artist who uses propaganda and the shock value in his wall art. In my opinion, artists like Banksy are becoming irrelevant in the fact that they are becoming commercialised. When Banksy first arose it was something new and shocking, catching people’s attention, doing its job in the political world as something to make people talk about. However, to some, now it seems that his artwork is becoming more of a piece to put on a canvas on your living room wall. Not many people talk about the effects of his pieces anymore, just how much they are going to sell for and if they can make a profit from it. There isn’t as many articles or discussions anymore talking about the effects of Banksy’s artwork, but just getting excited over the fact that there is something new. I think social media plays a huge role in the commercialization of Banksy as it became more about how many likes you can get rather than what is the meaning behind the work. For example when looking on websites at some of his artwork, there will be a description of the piece right underneath a banner saying ‘like this print? Get it now 50% off’.

One piece of Banksy’s works that I am going to be talking about in this essay, is Rage the flower thrower. The image is representing how we as humans should wage peace and not war. It is a powerful image, one that I think people should look at properly instead of looking at the price stamps. Banksy is trying to say that instead of throwing bombs, instead of making wars and fights and rage, we should be throwing flowers. We should be trying to make peace in the world. I think this image is a powerful way to bring important messages to people through the use of graffiti. I think the way that Banksy’s artwork is quite simple is also affective, as it gets to the point right away. His bold use of black and white makes his visual signature stand out, which some might say makes you stop right away, as Banksy is a well-known artist. In some articles, Banksy has commented on how he started using stencil art as it was a quicker way for him to do his artwork after having some close calls in his early career with the police nearly catching him. Even though I do think that Banksy’s art has become more commercialised in some ways, I still think that the artwork that he does is powerful and does send the right messages. He uses political and social situations to inspire his artwork and always wants the public to know what is happening, as some things might pass over the general public. So Banksy uses these situations to not only make himself known and get his artwork out there, but to educate the public about the happenings that are going on around the world.

Another thing that I think Banksy is notable for is that his identity is a secret. In a way, you could say that this is Banksy’s way of trying to make his artwork the most important thing for people to talk about rather than him himself, however in a way I feel some of this has backfired as normally the word of mouth now is who is Banksy? Or when are we going to know who Banksy is? I think for him to keep it a secret makes the Illustration more important, which is what most graffiti artists want in the first place.

It has been said that graffiti propaganda is a way to bring art to the working class people. Normally art would be seen in galleries, exhibitions, something that not all working class people can afford. By bringing artwork to the streets, everyone is able to see it and everyone can see the messages that they are trying to bring. Another way some look at graffiti art is that it is illegal and vandalism. It is notable to some that graffiti artists can risk jail just to get their message out into the world. One website states ‘many people associate graffiti with anti-social behaviour and gang culture, rather than being considered an art form.’ This makes graffiti quite powerful in the fact that, even though it is illegal and you could get thrown in jail for it, it’s still out there and still playing a massive role when it comes to times of political and social upheaval, as a way for the working class people to expose their views and knowledge and share what they think about certain situations.

Going back to the commercialisation of Banksy, you can also look at and think about graffiti art that is very raw and powerful. For example the Northern Ireland murals. These murals are made for and by the working class people of Northern Ireland, to show their views in a way that is artistic and moving. A lot of them are on the sides of houses, with up to 400 being known today. This makes them very personal to the communities. Many have said that the middle and upper-class people dismiss them as acts of vandalism and a crime, some may think this is purely because they fail to see the importance of them and the meaning behind them. These murals typically depict times of hardship and upheaval dealt with within the working class community. For example murals were made for the hunger strikes within a prison community in the 1980s, in which people showed their support for these prisoners or military murals protesting deaths of loved ones. These types of situations are normally for the working class, therefore which is why the artwork is more catered to them.

These Northern Ireland murals are raw, in some ways quite terrifying as the artwork is so powerful and scary that you can hardly believe that this is what is happening in the world today. They show harsh images and bold colours to catch your eye. If you compare them to Banksy’s graffiti work, they do not care so much about making profit or ‘looking pretty’ but they care more about showing a message and making themselves known. Some images showcased on the murals are shocking, but they make you stop and think about the message behind it. Not so much think that it would be a nice frame for your bedroom.

This mural is named ‘The Petrol Bomber’ by the people living around it. It is depicting scenes from the ‘Battle of the Bogside’ which took place in 1969. It is showing a small child with a gas mask on, holding a petrol bomb. I think this mural is a way for the community to show their feelings towards this battle and how it affected their children. This small child, who looks no older than 10, is having to throw bombs and wear gas masks when he should be in school reading books. It is a very powerful and moving piece of propaganda, tugging on heartstrings of anyone who has a heart. The use of black and white is also powerful, it is almost as if the smoke around the child is making the world black and white. Or like the artist is saying that this is the only world that the child knew, not a beautiful colourful world, but a horrible world filled with black smoke and terror. If the image had been in colour, I think it would have taken away from the severity of the message behind it. It almost looks like a screenshot from an early black and white television. The first thing you see is the child who is in the foreground of the image, obviously the most important part of the mural. Then as you go to looking at the other parts of the mural you notice the building which seems to be on fire with smoke coming out of it, the houses which are barely there but you can see the chimneys poking out. The two men who seem to be just casually standing around. It makes you question whether they should be caring for this child and not just letting him ‘run loose’. The way the child is carefully holding the bottle is powerful in itself, there is no stance like in the Banksy artwork, this child is just holding it in his hands as if something precious. At first you wouldn’t have thought it was a petrol bomb, just a bottle of juice that he’s going to have when he gets somewhere safe. Images like this one make you stop and think, what happened to that child? Is he safe now? This type of illustrative propaganda is what some might think is the most effective. It doesn’t have a meaning behind it that slams itself into your face, but you have to stop and think about it for a while before you get what is happening, or even research about it. I think it’s a very clever way to subtly tell the world your views about certain situations.

Alternatively, propaganda can also be used for posters and campaigns, often by political leaders or people against political leaders. Propaganda posters were particularly popular in the early 1900s when World War I and World War II were happening. People used them as an outlet to show their side, or to campaign against certain leaders or ideals. These posters were the fundamentals of some Illustration we see today. They functioned a massive role in the uprising and the upheaval of the public. From posters about Victory, to posters shaming the opposition. Some were seen as fun and some were seen as serious pieces of political information. This was a way for the public to get some know on what was currently going on in the war and show how they felt about it. These posters were mostly colourful and eye-catching, mostly so that they would be noticed as they were spread around town. A lot of the time showing bold one-liners in a massive font such as ‘VICTORY’ or the iconic ‘We Need You’ campaign.

If you look at propaganda posters in the modern world, its success is mostly due to the popularity of the internet and social media. There isn’t so much posters on the street anymore, but posters on Google, Facebook, etc. A lot of illustrative propaganda we see in the modern era is about the rise of the digital world and the effects that people think it is having on the world. This is showcasing the fact that propaganda is just as important in the modern era as it was in the past. Many believe that propaganda is a thing of the past, something that once happened but doesn’t anymore. Frank W. Baker disagrees as he states ‘propaganda is not something that just existed in the past: it is happening today—all around us’. Another who believes this to be untrue is Hobbs, creator of Mind over Media: Analysing Contemporary Propaganda. She states, ‘propaganda is an important part of our lives today. As a form of strategic communication that uses any means to shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, propaganda can be beneficial or harmful depending on the author’s purpose, context and situation’.

Some think when it comes to modern political and social situations, Illustration is a way for the public to collect their thoughts and showcase their ideals. Some things are a lot easier to say with a pencil and a piece of art than in words. Illustration can be a powerful tool when it comes to self-expression, however sometimes it can lead to dangerous situations. For example the people of Charlie Hebdo. A terrorist attack that happened to the people behind the magazine and drawings of Charlie Hebdo, who had been drawing about the prophet Muhammed. These gunmen did not agree with their drawings and saw them as shameful, therefore killing the cartoonists at the magazine offices. These illustrations cost people their lives, showing that sometimes illustration’s role can be a harmful one. However, after the incident, the world answered with many more illustrations showing support and love for the people at Charlie Hebdo. These illustrations were powerful and brought together the art community. I also think that from these illustrations, some people around the world who might not have known much about the shootings became educated about what happened. The images became viral and so did the story, showing that Illustration can be a powerful tool in cultivating the world.

Another example that can be seen in Paris were the recent terrorist attacks across the city. In November 2015, attacks were carried out by the Islamic State militant group where over 130 people died and many more wounded. The world was devastated by these attacks. An Illustrator named Jean Jullien united the world against these attacks with a simple illustration, of a peace symbol and the Eiffel Tower. It was a powerful piece of art that went majorly viral around the world, even though it was so simple.

This piece of art became a symbol of solidarity around the world. There are no words included in the image, which made it all that much more powerful. There didn’t need to be any words, as the world knew what had happened and what was going on. Jullien posted the picture not thinking it would go as viral as it did. Not only his image, but hundreds more illustrators around the world began to draw in response to these attacks. A thing that I like about this piece of art is that there is no intricacy to it, there doesn’t need to be. The roughness of the paint showing that even though the world is rough, times are hard, peace will be there in the end. Even the iconic image of the Eiffel tower, although simple, you can see what it is right away. This is the sign of powerful illustration. The circle is not perfectly round, the lines are not perfectly straight, but in a way it symbolises the fact that the world is not perfect, but if we solidify together than we can strive towards a future where it is. I also think the use of just black is very powerful, Jullien has not overpowered the piece by adding lots of design and detail. I also think you can tell that it was his first reaction to hearing the news, it wasn’t something well thought out and planned, it was a raw reaction to something that touched his heart, and in turn then touched the hearts of many around the world.

Modern or not, Illustration has played a role in the way that the world views things and changed the way that people think. Propaganda has been around for a long time and I think that it forever getting shaped into something new, something that the world needs at that time. Whether it be shocking, funny or heart-warming. We see illustration everywhere, from billboards and advertisements to political campaigns. Without illustration the world would be very bland and conforming, and no one would have any way to express their opinions and views. I think that illustration helps the world to support each-other during times of upheaval, where you see people with different opinions uniting together.  

In conclusion, I think that Illustration plays a massive role during times of political and social upheaval, from making something fun and playful to making art that can unite the world against the struggles it partakes in. Because the internet is such a powerful tool in the modern era, it is quite easy for Illustration to become something viral and well known, much like we saw in the examples I made in this essay. Without the internet I think it would be hard for the modern Illustration world to thrive as much as it does, especially during times of upheaval. But with the help of the internet becomes something that either unites the world, creates new opinions and thoughts or has helped to create a society where people are starting to think for themselves and create pictures.