Designed in Cuba: Cold War Graphics
The House of Illustration
2 Granary Square, Kings Cross, N1C 4BH
27 SEPTEMBER 2019 - 19 JANUARY 2020
£8.80
Designed in Cuba: Cold War Graphics explores the works included in Tricontinental: a left-wing magazine published by the Cuban organisation OSPAAAL. From the founding of Tricontinental in 1967, the posters were folded up and placed inside copies of the magazine, however, this came to an end with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. OSPAAAL, for those as clueless as I was, stands for Organisation of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America. The exhibition as a whole is a direct component of these people: with imagery of unification, solidarity and love echoing throughout all of the work present.
Free from the confines of soviet propaganda, these posters are able to humorously lace their art with both cynicism and sarcasm. OSPAAAL sought out global cooperation in almost impossible conditions, leading to their works to become more radical, more intellectual, and ultimately, more angry. Instead of representing people formally or realistically, the designers of the cold war graphics instead adapted reality: overlaying images of well-known icons, such as Ernetso Guevera with more political images of maps and landscapes, to further establish the global division.
One of the nation’s hit the hardest in these posters is unsurprisingly the USA. The posters particularly condemn the USA’s involvement in Asian intervention, as well as their foreign debt. Through mimicking the aesthetics of commercial advertising, they were able to create seriously engaging art which simplified complex political and social information into accessible content. As well as the artwork, there were short sentences or statements included in a number of languages to further establish the point in an inclusive and diverse manner.
My two favourite works in the exhibition were in the section on the USA. A striking image of Richard Nixon as a bald eagle, literally ripping the bleeding heart out of Vietnam, is an emotive yet apt way of displaying the damage don there during the 1970s. Another image which stood out was a parody of Christ affixed to the Cross, yet this time it was a white male affixed to a dollar sign, in the same scantily clad, vulnerable manner. At the bottom of the image run the words ‘Foreign Debt’ in three languages. Despite America owing so many countries so much, this poster is a haunting reminder that they will never really pay for their irreversible damage.
Overall, this exhibition was an interesting insight into an area I was not particularly familiar with before. It was quite difficult to follow exactly where the posters came from and for what purpose, and it is only going over the notes now that I truly understand. However, the images themselves are of unparalleled effect, each and every one a beautiful reminder of horrific events, and how almost 50 years on, we’re still in the midst of very troubling times.
OVERALL RATING: ****
https://www.houseofillustration.org.uk/whats-on/current-future-events/designed-in-cuba-cold-war-graphics/
