History’s Most Powerful Protest Art
Top designers on the images that coalesced movements and compelled change. Get inspired.
Anger was currency in the most recent U.S. election. It fueled Trump supporters as they reacted to job insecurity, global competition, and the threat of terrorism. And following Trump’s victory, it is driving an opposition to an administration characterized by questionable appointments (including the president-elect’s own family members, a white supremacist, a racist, and a climate-change denier), conflicts of interest, and apparent disdain for the First Amendment. Adding to the rage is the fact that Trump lost the popular vote — by a lot. Hillary Clinton’s lead in the popular vote currently stands at 2 million.
So yeah, these are legitimate reasons to be inconsolably pissed off. And now is the time to take to the streets, because if recent history is any guide, protests can be effective: Last month, the Polish government proposed a bill that would have punished women who had abortions with up to five years in jail. Tens of thousands of women, dressed in black, launched a one-day strike in major cities. Three days later, legislators voted down the abortion bill. That’s what mobilization can do. And if more distant history is any guide, it’s also a time when designers can have an impact, creating the iconic images that galvanize movements. This is the moment when designers can articulate the truths, define the moment, and urge action toward a common cause.
Homemade posters can pack a punch. But well-designed images can deliver powerful messages that resonate for decades, as these examples, chosen by prominent designers, make clear. From a gold-swallowing Hitler and babies killed in Vietnam to the “I AM A MAN” posters used by black sanitation workers in Memphis to protest poor working conditions, these images harken back to disturbing moments in history. But they’re also reminders of the progress that we’ve made, the challenges we still face, the dangers of sliding backward, and the vital importance of staying engaged in the good fight.
“The message is clear as day, even if you’re not sure of the specific context. It was designed for the Warsaw Poster Contest in 1975, but is arguably one of the most timeless images ever created. You could call it a graphic rebus, simply implying ‘put down your weapon,’ or even easier, ‘stop war.’”
“Protest art itself doesn’t create change, but it aims to embolden and galvanize enough people across socio economic backgrounds to mobilize for a cause. In order to do so successfully a call to arms should be immediate, brazen, and most importantly, have soul. It should also be something that can be re-created and shared. That’s why I think the image of a clenched fist in the air is such a successful theme in protest art. It’s been used by artists during the Mexican Revolution, by American students during the Vietnam war, by French students during the Paris Rebellion, by the Black Panther Party, and for countless other causes over time. This image is so universal it can be reduced to such a simple graphic form yet it symbolizes perfectly that the people are mad as hell and the world’s going to hear about it.”
“I see pain and promise in this image. The struggle is larger than life in the background. It is timeless (unfortunately) and it is tangible. Images from this day were posted to social media in real time. One of the shots captured on this day became the cover image of the April 25, 2015, issue of Time magazine. In the foreground, you see the photographer, Devin Allen. The juxtaposition of his emotion with those behind him give context to the struggle. We are fighting simply to be.
“My choice to include a photo rather a design might seem strange. Here’s where I’m coming from: While Emory Douglas, Shepard Fairey, and JR have produced work that connects with people on a large scale, I wanted to highlight the moments that inspire the artwork that follows.”
“Without caricature or stereotype, Shahn created a piece of protest journalism that helped inform the world about the horrors that were not being duly covered in the U.S. Ironically, it also suggests something even more contemporary:”
“From a formal standpoint these illustrations are pleasant and funny to look at, and yet the message is very clear and aggressive. Considering that the point is to wear these pins, T-shirts and tote bags, it is nice that on the surface they seem friendly and positive yet at a closer and not much delayed glance, the real message gets delivered.
“Considering that Trump’s campaign was so much based on negative messages and on promoting division, anger, and fear it is nice to fight back with protest pieces that, formally speaking, feel very different than that nasty rhetoric.”
“This was one of the central images to spark outrage in the U.S. about the war in Vietnam. It also brings up the question today of the media’s limited access to war zones. This work assumes the ‘designer as journalist,’ an idea that I am excited by — the ability we have to expose the truth (as ugly as it may be) and not merely decorate fiction.”
“John Heartfield was the greatest instrumentalist artist/designer. His activism reached beyond his art, leading him to change his name from Helmut Herzfeld to John Heartfield to further distance himself from German’s Nazi regime. His poster Adolf the Superman portrays Hitler as a heartless puppet who swallows gold and spews junk in return. It’s a striking image, and was only one of many anti-Nazi works he made in his career.”
“I worked with Glenn in the past and always found this piece to be so iconic, striking, and utterly visceral.
“It’s a representation of the signs used by 1,300 black sanitation workers in Memphis who where striking in protest at bad working conditions (two workers died because of them) and low wages. The wording derives from the great African-American author Ralph Ellison’s masterpiece, Invisible Man. In 1968, the photographer Ernest Withers captured the protests with this stoic, powerful black and white photographs.
“The whole fact that the workers omitted the word ‘invisible’ so that they can be seen is so strong it makes me want to cry.”
