In Brooklyn, New York.
AND: Commenter Scrutineer points to this blog post by Steve Sailer that discusses the Obama campaign poster that is similar to the image I photographed here, and notes that it was made by Shepard Fairey, who designed those famous Andre the Giant "Obey" stickers. I found this this interview with Fairey about his Obama posters, and it includes the "Progress" version that I photographed — with different, more American colors:
The colors read as red, white, and blue, though is darker than usual, and the white is darkened to beige. The image I've photographed uses the colors associated with Africa. If this is intended as a pro-Obama image, then, it is a pro-Obama image that is not intended for the general American audience.
Did you notice — in my photograph and in the version of the "Progress" poster at the link — that the "Obey" logo is incorporated into the Obama logo, creating an alarming "Obey Obama" logo? Here, look closely:
So 2 famous logos — Obama and Obey — are merged into the "Obey Obama" logo! This is an anti-Obama painting then, isn't it?
Based on the interview, it seems that Fairey started off on his own, without connection to the campaign, and he incorporated his "Obey" logo as a way of branding the poster. Now, Sailer is also concerned that Fairey is purveying un-American values because he's adopted the style of Soviet constructivism, but Fairey says:
I think what makes something art is that there's something that makes it enjoyable to look at regardless of the political content of it. I don't believe in the political content of the posters done under Mao or the early Soviet constructivists stuff but it's still really great to look at. It's got to be engaging aesthetically and if it has a point of view, that's even better.Okay? So is the image ominous? I don't think it was intended to be.
Now, another commenter wants to know if the Obama image really is next to the punk rock girl. This picture shows the degree of proximity:
And while we're looking at pictures, here's a closeup of the area right under the Obama image:
So... is this, like, an installation?
Posts
42 comments:
Always be suspicious of politicians presented in Che Guevara-style iconography. I know the artist may have meant one thing....ultimately, though, the viewer may decide it means something else entirely.
What a disgusting display of adoration fellow republicans.
I am disgusted, outraged, and angered by these pictures.
Northeast elitists trying to tell the rest of us real Americans how to feel makes me sick. Sick to my stomach.
Their ivy league educations and east coast manners and high falutin ways. Trying to tell the rest of us had working, real Americans how to FEEL makes me throw up big time.
Get up off your lazy divans, get to work and shut the fuck up.
The East Coast of this country is absolutely horrible.
Yea, you have the stock market and the Atlantic Ocean and your fancy colleges and prep schools but you don't have any clue to what the rest of us real Americans live with day in and day out.
You East Coasters can go fuck yourself with your fancy cheese, beautiful beaches, and weekend get aways to the Hamptons, The Cape, Rehobeth, the Vineyard, Nantucket, Newport, Block Island and Camden Maine.
You will never have Branson or Las Vegas or Wisconsin Dells.
Yea, the East Coast has Andover and St. Pauls but fuck that.
We have real American values. Liberty University and Oral Roberts. Real American shit as opposed to you effete bitches from the East Coast.
We can run over your shit here in the heartland.
6th street is obviously elitists and northeatern and reads the nytimes and drinks lattes and drives mini coopers and has no idea what is going on in the rest of the country.
More like
Cheers,
Victoria
Steve Sailer wrote an interesting post about the "humorless credulity" conveyed by Obey Giant Obama posters.
The giant Stalin-esque posters don't exactly mesh with the "Obama is not a socialist, he's a moderate" message.
OBEY GIANT?
Nope -
OBEYama.
Is that Obama "Progress" painting really next to a rendering of what looks like a punker chick from the '80s?
'cause that seems almost ironic right there.
Off topic: Has anybody read this already ?
http://www.villainouscompany.com/vcblog/archives/2008/05/omg_theyre_so_m.html
"Priya Venkatesan taught English at Dartmouth College. She maintains that some of her students were so unreceptive of "French narrative theory" that it amounted to a hostile working environment. She is also readying lawsuits against her superiors, who she says papered over the harassment, as well as a confessional exposé, which she promises will name names."
http://www.villainouscompany.com/vcblog/archives
/2008/05/omg_theyre_so_m.html
JA, WIR KÖNNEN!
...Che Guevara-style iconography...
Che flag in Obama TX office
That was in February. I'm sure it is now only a fond memory.
Always be suspicious of politicians presented in Che Guevara-style iconography.
Well considering his politics aren't far off the mark from Che's, its rather appropriate.
Well considering his politics aren't far off the mark from Che's, its rather appropriate.
Well, thuggery and mass murder aren't essential elements of Obama's platform. I think that's, ah, a salient difference.
A humorless someone who's moniker begins with "t" and who makes deplorable personal attacks on some of this blog's most outstanding commenters has become tiresome to the point that I for one will no longer read his comments until there is Change We Can Believe In.
Viva Il Duce!!!
Beware the man whose face adorns every wall in town (or desires it to), whose cult of personality permits ridiculous slogans to be passed off as actual thought.
Jonathan Livingston Obama: "Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more, and it is time for our generation to answer that call."
Stalin:
"In step, working men and women - your alliance is unbeatable!"
Mao: "The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is an objective law independent of man's will. However much the reactionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, sooner or later revolution will take place and will inevitably triumph."
-Orwell(ish): "Don't you see that the whole aim of Obamaspeak is to narrow the range of thought?… Has it ever occurred to you that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now?…The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact, there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness."
You hit it on the head with the tag - "Orwell[ian]." There's a frightening affinity for Soviet iconography among Obama supporters; it used to be said that one of Pat Buchanan's speeches sounded better in the original German, and one could say the same about some of Vozhd Obama's pronouncements being better in the original Russian. Упование! Изменение! Мир!
Reminds me of the work of UK designer Jonathan Barnbrook.
His thing is "demonizing" the United States by producing commercial images that attack commerce, according to the new book Graphic Design: A New History.
Cheerless stuff.
Nobody has added an American Flag Pin to the lapel yet.
It is odd how so many Obama supporters seem to want to hold up pictures of him? It is all very fascistic.
Don't get me wrong, Reagan is my hero, but I would never hold up a picture of him at a rally, how unamerican.
Viva Il Duce!!!
Viva Il Duce
Viva another guy
Viva this guy too
Well, thuggery and mass murder aren't essential elements of Obama's platform. I think that's, ah, a salient difference.
I referred to Che's politics, not his predeliction for murder and torture.
Obama has yet to convince me he is not a socialist. Seeing campaign workers who adorn their office with Che posters and looking at Obama images which are clearly inspired with Soviet style art, doesn't do much to sway my opinion.
Viva el Jefe!
http://www.thoseshirts.com/images/rect-reaganplaingr.jpg
So which is it now, is Obama a Socialist or an elitist? Clinton has taken on the populist role. Doesn't that make her the real Socialist, the woman of the people?
I referred to Che's politics, not his predeliction for murder and torture.
Rampant torture may not have been an intrinsic element of the Che Guevara political platform -- that was just his own peculiar moral deformity. But mass murder, violent revolution, and bloody expropriation certainly were. Obama may secretly want to implement price and wage controls and expand the power of eminent domain to a terrifying extent, but that's a long way from a platform the central feature of which is armed revolution.
There's plenty to criticise Obama on already, both in his personal and his political life. We don't need to criticise him by trying to analogise him to psychotic mass murderers.
but that's a long way from a platform the central feature of which is armed revolution.
I disagree.
Over time the ends dictate the means to bring it about. Not armed revolution so much as coercion with a smiling face and pat on the head from our betters. Liberal fascism is no less invidious because it lacks rifles.
So which is it now, is Obama a Socialist or an elitist?
Well I won't speak for others but for me those terms tend to be redundant more often than not.
Obama may secretly want to implement price and wage controls and expand the power of eminent domain to a terrifying extent, but that's a long way from a platform the central feature of which is armed revolution.
I'm not so sure he's being that secretive about it. Again, when a lot of his followers aren't shy about wearing Che shirts or hanging posters of the guy I'm sure you can appreciate why it gives me pause.
There's plenty to criticise Obama on already, both in his personal and his political life. We don't need to criticise him by trying to analogise him to psychotic mass murderers.
Oh you are right I suppose. I guess I just got a little carried away which I think is understandable what with being subjected to BUSH=HITLER for the last 7 years.
Obligatory reminder:
Not voting for Obama will not be tolerated by all right thinking citizens.
Your vote will be audited and counter revolutionaries will be sent to reeducation facilities.
Triangle Man said...
"So which is it now, is Obama a Socialist or an elitist?"
If you think that those are opposed terms, you're not familiar with how history has shown socialist governments will invariably operate in practice.
Bearbee wrote:
Viva Il Duce!!!
Viva Il Duce
Viva another guy
Viva this guy too
LOL! Not just about the iconography, which I had thought of posting too, but because of your phrasing, Bearbee.
It had something of The Three Stooges about it.
And that's wonderful. Nyuk-nyuk.
Cheers,
Victoria
Jonathan Livingston Obama:
Perfect! I hate-hat-hate that book. I was made to read it in 6th grade and I vividly remember sitting there going "WTF??" First book I ever skimmed instead of reading.
His thing is "demonizing" the United States by producing commercial images that attack commerce, according to the new book Graphic Design: A New History.
Cheerless stuff.
You can't look at a graphic design magazine sideways without this shit coming at you on every page.
Right up there with those ubiquitous posters of Saddam prior to the fall. What next, super-sized statues?
That "perfect" in proximity to the Obama poster reminds me of Charlotte's Web and its arachnid version of subliminal advertising: "SOME PIG"
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Great behind the scenes piece here. Obama's whole campaign of 'Change' and 'Hope' is somewhat self-mocking. So many talented artists for Obama. Making your own Obama posters is totally addicting, I laughed so hard I almost had a breakdown. LOL!
:)
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
always hope for hope
push for change at all costs
change can never be bad
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
only feel and hope
please make people change
change can only be good
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Make Some Obama Posters NOW!
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Appeasement Talk Bothers Appeasers
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Help Halt Terrorism Now!
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USpace
:)
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