VISST300 Posters of the Revolution
May 29–July 17, 2008

This course examines the history of political posters, starting with the mid - nineteenth century to the present day. Through the text and images of these posters, students learn about the revolutionary movements in France (1870 and 1968), Russia (1905 and 1917), China (1949), Cuba (1959), Iran (1979), Eastern European countries (1989-90), and other nations. Students study the artists' ideological backgrounds and techniques. Case studies also include the work of artists during the labor movements of the early twentieth century and the anti-war movements, such as a Kathe Kollwitz poster from 1924, No War, that finds haunting echoes in No More Hiroshima by Hirokatsu in 1968. Students also examine graffiti and other public art of the twentieth century.