neoplasticutopia » Election Design ’08

BATMOBAMA and ROBIDEN

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:00:50 +0000

'Bama-mamma-mamma-mamma....

I love how this image keeps the superhero thing going into the DC world and also harkens back to the 60′s disco Batman rather than the current serious incarnation. McCain’s Penguin isn’t the main attraction for me as Palin’s Catwoman is eerily accurate because it acknowledges how she was deliberately chosen to represent sexuality with a sprinkle of predator.

And honestly, I’ve always thought the 60′s villains seemed to be the most incompetent of any Batman incarnation. They never really seemed all that scary, just sort of bumbling. Perhaps I’m a little too fond of Batman: The Animated Series villains, but the McCain campaign never really seemed all that together in the first place so bumbling is probably an accurate term. Also, I can’t help but think of how Jon Stewart’s impersonation of Dubya is very Penguin influenced, so the sense of bumbling evil really works here. I love how artist Paul Richmond really nails the campiness of Palin throughout the campain. And finally, the use of Obama’s logo here points out how deeply it struck people as a beacon and how classic it has already become. Thanks for the link Parmsy!

Paul Richmond: blog and etsy (prints are sold out)

BARAKBAR

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:11:36 +0000

I like how Fairey’s poster design has become emblematic of the whole campaign. This reworking keeps the meme going and I like how the relationship of the Rebel Alliance is fitting to both the election and the aesthetics of Fairey’s original.

Unofficially McCain

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:03:37 +0000

Part of my interst in Fairey’s poster is the way that it has started to be come iconic of the overall election.

OBEY HOPE

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:52:32 +0000

I was amazed to see this poster by Shepard Fairey back at the beginning of the year. My surprise and amazement came from both the style and message of the poster. Part of my shock came from the way this poster is both typical Fairey (direct, colourful and politically charged) but also how he’s drawing from the same aesthetics to present the optimism buried within. And really it’s his optimism that I’m most stuck by as I tend to focus on the sense of domination inherent to his work. But now I’m starting to review that as a sense of optimism, that for every OBEY poster that he’s working to motivate us all to participate and help shape something, but with an awareness of how power and dominance has shaped the past 100 years.

I was immediately struck by how the posture of Obama is remeniscent of one of my most loved and hated political images of the last century: Che Guevara. But at the same time Fairey’s poster indicates that the struggle for freedom that has occurred over the last hundred years is continuing. I’m struck as to how his poster is building a relationship between one era’s struggle with the present.

This past year I’ve been struck with how design is playing role in this US election and I’m going to try and follow it as best I can: as a removed observer looking through the images and ideas that are being presented officially and unofficially to get a sense of what forces are driving this most turbulent election.