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'Over the Black Sea'- Alexei Leonov (1934-2019)

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'Over the Black Sea'- Alexei Leonov (1934-2019)

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This piece, and the artist in particular, hold a lot of importance to me as I am intensely fascinated by astrophysics and the Cold War's Space Race (1957-75ish). The artist was the first person to walk out into space and perform a spacewalk, on the 18th March 1965. All of his work featured both a sense of realism but also utopic fantasy, as was common throughout the Cold War. I once managed to go to a talk of his at the Science Museum, and I found that the most fascinating part was how his talked about his experience as a cosmonaut in a very nonchalent way.
I'd say that this kind of propaganda was a refleciton of the hope that technological advances gave to both the Soviet side and the American side with that touch of experience that Leonov had and knew about the cosmos.
If you are interested in more graphic/photographic aspects of Space Race-era propaganda (as well as a full-blown analysis of the direct corrolation between Soviet successes and Space-race propaganda), I found the book 'Picturing the Cosmos' by Iina Kohonen to be really useful.

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I came across the Navajo Indians while studying tone languages a few years ago and their art style has always stuck with me since they harnessed the healing power of graphic design and use it in their sand paintings in an elaborate healing ritual.

They use graphic design as a visual communication device; the figures in the paintings are symbolic representations of stories in Navajo mythology, which depict objects legendary visions and illustrations of dances or chants performed in rituals.

According to Navajo belief, a sandpainting heals because the ritual image serves as a pathway to the heroes depicted in the paintings. The patient sits on the painting while the chanter performs a ritual to enhance its absorption. Power is thought to be absorbed from the sacred objects depicted and a ritual reality is created in which the patient and the supernatural dramatically interact, reestablishing the patient's sense of connectedness to all of life, upon which the patient's spiritual and physical health will improve.

This merging of time and space into a place where the present and the mythic past coexist fascinated me. All their designs incorporate a circle since they believe life to be a sacred hoop; the circle of life is timeless and ever flowing.

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This is not a poster to be particular, but the movement and concept of "The style" played an important place in my journey to choose Graphic Design. The aesthetic of plain geometric shapes and lines educated me that this can be graphic design as well. As a manga lover, I found myself mesmerised in this type of visual language.

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Made in Japan, Tadanori Yokoo, Having Reached a Climax at the Age of 29, I Was Dead, from Tadanori Yokoo
Even he had been well-known at his young 20s, most of Tadanori Yokoo's works were commissioned and he felt less free to express himself in his own artwork. However, for the first time he used his own experiences as elements in this piece. I've always love his aesthetics, and his moves of showing his own identity also have left great impact on me on design practices.

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Strong feeling with simple colour used and brown colour tone in the image. Gently with lines and colours. Giving comfortable mood and feeling to me. Mucha has showing the women beauty through the graphic design and describing the other perspectives about women. Thick lines stands out the shape of the character and blur the details. Lovely design ideas and the personal style through this collection.

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Wong is a political comic artist from Hong Kong. The image below is an iconic image back from 1989 tiananmen square protest

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I find Cage's work so experimental and unexpected even all these years after it was composed. The piano is played, not only by using the keys, but also by plucking the strings with finger nails, slamming the keyboard lid, playing cymbal beaters on the strings, striking the keyboard lid etc. Pedalling is also notated in full detail.

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This is one of many adaptations of a popular Hong Kong protest slogan.
A new law was declared, and the safety of pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong was challenged to a whole new level. Freedom of speech and opinion had come to an end, but many pro-democracy supporters still had a lot to say.
These shapes are very average, but they actually replicate the characters of a common protest slogan that is known to all those who support the movement. Other examples of adaptations include the very minimal-yet clever-use of numbers, letters, everyday symbols, and punctuation. In using imagery that has no initial relation to the movement, supporters are able to avoid likely arrest. This highlights the resilience and strong-will of the protestors, as well as their quick-wit.
The movement alone sparked a huge wave of remarkable protest art and graphic designs.

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This poster is an iconic example of New Zealand, Maori modern artwork. It has been translated into multiple posters and has been used to represent the different beliefs and values of Maori Culture.

Coming from New Zealand it is very important to me, as I look at it as an incredibly powerful projection of the strength and unitedness of the culture at home.

The play on positive and negative lines is very successful as it creates a high impact. The shape of the Koru fern outline are also incredibly symbolic as it is a native plant, and in Maori artwork it is used to symbolise, strength, new beginnings and family. I feel this is particularly relevant during the uncertainties we are facing with COVID-19. It reminds us how crucial it is to support each other and have empathy towards others.

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(I'm unfortunately not sure who designed the poster, nor when)
This poster represents the late Abdul Sattar Edhi who touched everyone's hearts in Pakistan with nothing but kindness and love - he was and still is an important role model for everyone in the country. I chose this poster because he was/is someone I look up to and admire greatly.

Text below from tribune.com.pk:
"a prominent Pakistani philanthropist, social activist and humanitarian. He is the founder and head of the Edhi Foundation, one of the most respected non-profit social welfare organisations in the world. On January 1, 2014, Edhi was also voted Person of the year 2013 by the readers of The Express Tribune. His foundation runs the world's largest ambulance service and operates free nursing homes, orphanages, clinics, women's shelters, and rehab centres for drug addicts and mentally ill individuals. "No religion is higher than humanity," says Edhi."

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This poster is about the forced female circumcision associated with tradition and the fatal consequences that it has to many women. This work was exposed at the exposition that made me choose to study GCD.

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CREATED DURING THE IRAQ WAR, IS AN ALTERNATIVE PHRASE INSPIRED BY POPULAR 1960S ANTI-WAR MANTRA,  “MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR.” IN THIS CASE, FAIREY ASSERTS THE NEED FOR CREATIVE RATHER THAN DESTRUCTIVE ACTS. THE ART NOUVEAU STYLE OF THE IMAGE IS AN ADDITIONAL REFERENCE TO THE INFLUENCE OF ART NOUVEAU ON HIPPIE AND PSYCHEDELIC ART OF THE ‘60S, INCLUDING MANY ANTI-VIETNAM WAR POSTERS.

ENCASED WITHIN A FLORAL GARLAND, THE FEMALE FIGURE APPEARS MORE SELF-ASSURED AND REAL RATHER THAN ETHEREAL. THE PLACEMENT OF TWO PAINTBRUSHES BELOW HER PORTRAIT NOT ONLY REFERS TO A CLASSICAL TOOL OF ART PRODUCTION BUT RESEMBLES SPEARS, WHICH WHEN READ ALONGSIDE THE DIRECTIVE TO “OBEY” THAT APPEARS ON HER NECK, SIMULTANEOUSLY MAKES THE OTHERWISE PALATABLE MESSAGE MORE POINTED.

created by Shepard Fairey

This work is important to me because I believe that through art many problems can be solved with the help of visual communication and can convey messages in creative ways that can go in a much better way than wars.

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Designer: Ghassan Kanafani.
Year: 1970.
This poster was made for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (P.F.L.P).
I chose this poster as it is for a cause that's very close to me as I am Palestinian. Palestine has gone through so much terror and hardship, people being tortured, forced to leave their homes and ultimately having their identity taken away from them. Many Palestinians don't have a home to go to, nor are allowed to go back their own country. Seeing this poster and being reminded of the strong resistance of the Palestinians to the discrimination that they go though just by existing, makes it matter to me.

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Booklet for the "Speak Mandarin" campaign in Singapore, 1979

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Booklet for the "Speak Mandarin" campaign in Singapore, 1979

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This is a piece of propaganda that is very close to my heart because it represents a kind of cleaving of a generation of Chinese Singaporeans relationships with their grandparents. The campaign was essentially an assault on the representation of non-Mandarin Chinese dialects in the public and media in Singapore, languages that a majority of Chinese Singaporeans spoke since we hailed mostly from Southern and not Northern China where Mandarin is dominant. People were discouraged from speaking these southern languages as a way to unite the disparate groups of Chinese in Singapore under a common tongue. Southern dialects were dropped from radio stations and no longer taught in schools and over time younger generations switched to Mandarin. Many elderly people, monolingual in sourthern chinese languages, missed out on the chance to form strong, close relationships with their grandchildren. I was a victim of these consequences. Although my grandmother speaks a bit of Mandarin, as do I, it is scarcely enough to help me understand everything she says. This is something I've always regretted greatly.

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Jimmy Cliff- Cover of album 'The Harder They Come' 

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Jimmy Cliff- Cover of album 'The Harder They Come' 

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This album was constantly played in the car for such a long part of my childhood. I often remember being in the back of the car as a child, listening to this album and it constantly bringing me colour, vibrancy and pure soul to every car journey. I remember always particularly getting so excited for the start of the song 'Draw Your Brakes' and trying to learn all the words. The album cover has always had a really nostalgic feeling for me. The vibrancy and nature of the album is really reflected in this cover. It's a timeless album!

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Happy together, a homosexual movie that was released back in 1997 Hong Kong. The topic was definitely not a common one back then but still after twenty years has passed, it is something that the majority would avoid to talk about.

Being heterosexual is like a responsibility and a must when you are born into an asian family, especially in chinese family. You are suppose to marry and have a baby to pass on the generation, it is a tradition.

It is really ironic and funny whenever I heard the older generation just saying "oh it fine to be homo, just not my own son or daughter."  People in Hong Kong would always pretend they are all so openminded and be able to adapt to something that they are not used to, as soon as they have put on the 'nice' mask, they begin to make offensive jokes to the topics. This did not just happen to sexuality but all others things, such as race and class. It is a city which has shit loads of discriminations.

There is a political meaning behind the movie as well, check that out if you want to know more!