6

2000–Present
Revolutions and the Demand for Rights

Brian Haw began his ten-year one-man protest in June 2001, targeting the UK-backed United Nations economic sanctions imposed on Iraq prior to the First Gulf War of 1991. Over the following decade (1991–2001) those sanctions had devastated Iraq’s economy, causing great suffering and death to Iraqi civilians, particularly children. Haw decided to make a stand and aimed his anger at the callousness of the politicians who backed the UN sanctions. He based his encampment directly across the street from the gates of the Houses of Parliament: an ‘exhibition of blame’ composed of signs, slogans, texts and shocking images of the horrors inflicted on the children by sanctions and war. Haw’s powerful display grew to over 40 metres in length, and was haunted by his round-the-clock presence. It elicited either irritation, or soul-searching, from anyone entering or within the Houses of Parliament.¹

The new century had started with the destruction of a gigantic symbol of global capitalism. In the terrorist attack of 9/11 (September 11, 2001), two passenger jets hijacked by Al-Qaida terrorists crashed into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center; another jet came down in Pennsylvania; and a fourth crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In the desire for retaliation, US President George W. Bush declared a global ‘War on Terror’, soon to manifest itself as the War in Afghanistan. In 2002 Bush announced the existence of an ‘axis of evil’ (Iraq, Iran, North Korea) that harboured ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ (WMDs). By 2003, with still no WMDs in sight, Bush and the UK’s Tony Blair felt justified in leading a coalition of countries to invade Iraq.

On 15 February 2003, over one million people (from all over the UK) arrived in London to protest the Iraq War, joined by protests in over 60 countries around the world, including the USA. All were ignored. The military combat operations only lasted from March to May 2003. But the post-war chaos continued. ‘Regime change’ (the deposition of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain) unleashed power struggles between different factions, including Al-Qaida forces. Fighting carried on; coalition and civilian casualties grew. Barack Obama became US president in 2008. The US and UK withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, but Obama continued the operation of drones. The conflict in Afghanistan remained unresolved.²

Both wars, and the events they created, were heavily debated over this time period. The protests were continuous and mourned the killing and the dead, while pointing at the failures of politicians. The protest imagery was often chilling, such as the poster showing the silhouetted image of an Iraqi prisoner undergoing torture in Abu Ghraib prison. Some of it was satirical and funny, at least on initial viewing. But even UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with a tea cup on his head eventually starts to look sinister while holding a Kalashnikov rifle, as shown in the popular protest poster by ad agency Karmarama.

Poster commenting on the problem of arms in schools 2018
BBDO Atlanta

If the events surrounding 9/11 made global capitalism look vulnerable, the economic crash of 2008 would do worse. With the New York stock market in freefall and the USA heading for recession, the interconnectedness of the world’s economies meant that other countries soon followed. Severe austerity measures inflicted on some of Europe’s citizens brought anger against their politicians and rioting in the streets. In the Middle East and North Africa, wealthy, long-standing dictatorships could no longer keep their people silently suffering in poverty. At the same time, connectivity – between people and countries – had improved massively. Broadband had arrived and mobile technology had leapt ahead; the availability of smartphones and social media allowed for the uploading of images and ‘sharing’. Consequently, revolutions, ignited by events or a call to arms, were able to be shared globally.³

The ‘Year of Revolutions’ (2011) started with events in the Middle East, referred to by global media as the Arab Spring. Tunisia was the first to revolt; Egypt soon followed, with Tahrir Square in Cairo as its epicentre, generating brilliant protest imagery (signs, banners) and murals. The spirit of protest spread to Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Yemen, Algeria and Libya. In Syria, protests against President Bashar al-Assad turned into outright conflict (still present in 2019) and generated a mass of intense, online protest art by, for example, the poster collective Alshaab Alsori Aref Tarekh (the Syrian People Know Their Way).⁴

Europe was next: On 15 May 2011 thousands of people calling themselves ‘Los Indignados’ (the Outraged) marched into Madrid’s main square, set up a protest camp and showed their anger at an ineffectual government and failing economy. This action sparked off other protests, as well as the creation of an image bank of sophisticated posters for downloading. Greece was suffering from a debt crisis and demonstrating against unemployment, corruption and police violence. August 2011 brought riots and looting to London, sparked by austerity measures and the police-shooting of a 29-year-old black man.⁵

Then the USA joined the revolution: on 17 September 2011 Occupy Wall Street was born. A protest camp was established in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, in defiance of corrupt politicians and corporate rule in the midst of a flagging US economy, giving rise to the slogan ‘We are the 99%’ (a comment relating to reports that 1% of the people owned the majority of the country’s wealth). On 15 October 2011 the activist group Occupy London Stock Exchange landed its protest camp on a small area of pavement in front of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral. It caused the church to question the ethical and spiritual morality of probable eviction and set off heated debates about the modern role of the church. The camp thrived and avoided eviction until Feb 2012.⁶

The Occupy Gezi Park protests of May-June 2013 in Istanbul became a struggle between the will of the Turkish people and the authoritarian power of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Protesters took over Taksim Square and occupied nearby Gezi Park. A police crackdown was ordered, and images of the excessive use of violence, tear gas and water-cannon filled news reports and social media. Also in 2013, discontent erupted in Brazil when its politicians pushed for the hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The lavish spending on ‘FIFA-standard’ stadiums clashed badly with the poor medical facilities and high rates of illiteracy in Brazil’s cities. Protesters wielding signs demanding ‘FIFA-standard hospitals’ or ‘FIFA-quality schools’ were met with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets, as the games continued inside the stadiums.⁷

Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’ (September–December 2014) began when pro-democracy activists demanded open elections for the Hong Kong chief executive in 2017. Peaceful public demonstrations took place, and protesters formed encampments within one of the world’s most important financial centres. The sea of umbrellas, caught in many images appearing on social media, were not only symbolic but of critical use: as protection against riot police, tear gas and pepper-spray, as well as rain or the hot midday sun. The protests also became known for the impromptu art pieces that flourished, and the extraordinary number of solidarity posters appearing on the internet.⁸

Another (on-going) irritation to the Chinese authorities was the artist-activist Ai Weiwei. Recognized as an important figure in global contemporary art, he was also renowned as a blogger, social commentator and constant user of social media (especially microblogging such as Twitter). One of his most crucial art projects dealt with the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 and the collapse of shoddily constructed school buildings that killed over 5,000 schoolchildren. With local officials denying accountability, Ai Weiwei used his blog to invite volunteers to join a ‘Citizens’ Investigation’. They interviewed families and workers; researched numbers and names of the dead, and threats or payments for families’ silence. Ai Weiwei used the resulting information to create artworks that memorialized the children, such as a devastatingly long list of the victims – each listed with a name, date of birth, school class and gender – as compiled by the Citizens’ Investigation.⁹

The feminist Punk collective Pussy Riot was formed in 2011 as a reaction to Vladimir Putin’s possible return to the presidency of Russia the following year. On 21 February 2012, four members of the collective, wearing their trademark balaclavas, performed ‘A Punk Prayer’ in front of the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, considered to be the heart of Russian Orthodoxy. Three performers were arrested and charged with ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’ and sentenced to two years in prison. (One was freed on appeal in October 2012; the other two were also released early.) Their coloured balaclavas became a global symbol of resistance, and the slogan ‘Free Pussy Riot’ echoed around the world via social media.¹⁰

Also from Russia: the controversial performance art duo the Blue Noses, founded in 1999 by Alexander Shaburov and Viacheslav Mizin, have continued to produce social critique, mixed with absurdist humour (and nudity), ever since. One of their most notorious projects was ‘Era of Mercy’ (aka ‘An Epoch of Clemency’), 2005, showing two men dressed in the uniform of the Russian military, kissing passionately in a birch forest. It was clearly a satirical statement by the Blue Noses against the intolerance shown towards homosexuality and LGBT culture in Russia.¹¹

The Netherlands welcomed the 21st century as the first country to give full rights of marriage to same-sex couples (in 2000). By 2017, over two dozen countries had legalized same-sex marriage, but for some it hadn’t come easily. France rejoiced in 2013 but had had a tough time due to worries about right-wing and fundamentalist Catholic groups. In 2014 the USA was still only partially a member of the club, as some of the states lagged behind. But Russia has remained well behind, as prejudice (and often violence) against homosexuality was (and still is) condoned there. Politicians, including Putin himself, felt free to refer to LGBT people in a denigrating manner, both in public and the media. As a result, signs and posters have appeared in protests far and wide, as well as online, showing a variety of portraits of Putin himself wearing heavy make-up and placed against a rainbow (Pride) background.¹²

The USA’s recent populist movement to the right also brought worrying signs in the form of the ‘Bathroom Bill’ which stated that people must only use public toilets of the gender stated on their birth certificate. North Carolina was the first state to pass the Bathroom Bill (March 2016) in the lead-up to the November presidential election. It became a cause célèbre for many people, including LGBT activists, who viewed it as discrimination against transgender people. Another upset for the USA occurred (June 2016) when 49 people lost their lives and 53 were wounded, as a gunman with a military-style assault rifle opened fire on clubbers at ‘Pulse’, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida. News of the incident sparked the formation of a collective in New York City calling themselves Gays Against Guns (GAG), which immediately began a campaign of civil disobedience and direct action against gun companies and their supporters.¹³

A black, unarmed, hoodie-clad 17-year-old named Trayvon Martin died in February 2012, shot by neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. People took to the streets and signed online petitions, demanding Zimmerman be arrested. He was eventually charged and made to face a jury, who returned a verdict of ‘not guilty’. Despite right-wing predictions of racial unrest if Zimmerman was acquitted, there were no riots, only the creation of determined protest groups. Activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi joined together through the posting of solidarity messages online, and Black Lives Matter was founded, a network intended as an affirmation of humanity, while also focusing on the way black lives were systematically and unjustly targeted and ended. The years 2014 and 2015 saw a litany of names of young black men dying at the hands of police who faced little or no accountability, and no punishment, adding a fever to a movement that still calls for social justice.¹⁴

Widely circulated protest image (outlawed in Russia) with many versions, relating to Vladimir Putin’s negative attitude to LGBT issues c. 2013–present
Photograph: Stefano Montesi

Gays Against Guns (GAG) protest against gun companies and their supporters c. 2016
Photograph: Erik McGregor

On Saturday 21 January 2017, the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president, women all over the world marched for women’s rights, particularly focusing on his sexist attitudes. During his election campaign, allegations were made that he groped women (which he denied), while comments caught on microphone which he dismissed as ‘locker room talk’ had caused extreme offence, particularly his alleged comment about women generally: ‘Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.’ Over half a million protesters joined the March on Washington, an estimated 100,000 marched in London alone, plus 600 ‘sister marches’ took place around the globe. Although celebrities and other notables made speeches in Washington, London and elsewhere, the real stars were the marchers (women, men, families) and the wit and humour they applied to the extraordinary number of messages carried on signs and placards. There were snarling retorts to Trump in ‘pussy-grabbing’ messages such as ‘This Pussy Grabs Back!’ or ‘Hope Not Grope’, as well as seas of pink knitted pussyhats (with cats-ears) worn by the crowd, courtesy of a knitting pattern posted online and translated into twelve languages.¹⁵

Not long after, and not surprisingly, the #MeToo movement came roaring into global existence. It was initiated by an exposé of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. But it became an online call to action by actor Alyssa Milano, who suggested that the real extent of the problem could only be understood if all women who had been sexually assaulted or harassed in their lives took to social media, wrote ‘Me Too’ as a status, and told their stories. The response was massive. Millions of women from around the world felt empowered to speak out, and engaged in the conversation via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Thus #MeToo became a movement allowing ordinary women – and men – to speak out about the harassment and abuse they suffered in everyday life, marking the beginning of a shift in everyday behaviour and power cultures.¹⁶

Worries about global warming and climate change have made 21st-century citizens take action when natural or manmade disasters strike, or corporations misbehave. In August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the US south coast it obliterated much of the city of New Orleans. The breaching of its levees left 80% of the city submerged, with some areas under eight feet of water and 80–100,000 residents left stranded. The response from federal agencies was slow and shameful; the rescuers were often ordinary people or neighbours. The US design community came to the rescue in their own way. They created the Hurricane Poster Project, an online collection of freshly designed Katrina-related posters for sale: some protesting the inaction of the government, others celebrating the courage of the people involved. Proceeds from the sales went to the American Red Cross in support of the victims of Katrina.¹⁷

Other angry protests appeared in graphic form in April 2010 when BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig (in the Gulf of Mexico) exploded, creating the biggest crude oil spill in US-controlled waters to date. Within weeks, the leaked oil had landed on the coastline of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, polluting its beaches and wildlife and destroying the fishing and tourist industries. BP’s logo was savagely satirized on a logo competition website and again, artists and designers sold angry, but often beautiful, posters to make money for the coastal clean-up. The legacy of both Katrina and Deepwater Horizon, as natural or manmade environmental disasters, haunts the future.¹⁸

Protest and satire, particularly taking shots at figures of authority, have continued at full tilt in the 21st century. The trio of Tony Blair, along with George W. Bush and his Vice President Dick Cheney, act as reminders of Bush’s wars in the Middle East (both Iraq and Afghanistan) operating throughout the Noughties, and a lesson in how badly things can go wrong. David Cameron became the poster-boy for a government of private-school educated, Conservative Party politicians, which dealt out austerity cuts to the rest of the population. The Conservatives continued to be unsteady at the helm, with Theresa May’s beleaguered guidance through Brexit procedures: the UK’s attempt at withdrawal from the European Union to which it had been a member for at least 40 years. But the biggest target in recent times of both satire and protest has been Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States. Trump’s distinctive appearance and behaviour, such as his impulsive use of Twitter, make him a prime subject for caricature and a godsend to cartoonists and illustrators. However, his attitudes and divisive presidency, as well as his ‘America First’ policies, have caused shockwaves and mass protests both inside and outside the USA.¹⁹

Any satirical laughter stops immediately with the poster/graphic ‘Je Suis Charlie’ (I Am Charlie) which refers to the incident on 7 January 2015 when two radical Islamist gunmen entered the Paris offices of the satirical comic magazine Charlie Hebdo. They killed twelve and injured others on the Hebdo team including office staff, cartoonists, writers and the editor Stéphane Charbonnier. The graphic ‘Je Suis Charlie’, designed by Joachim Roncin, instantly became a symbol of solidarity, defiance and the right to freedom of speech both in the Twittersphere as well as on marches and demonstrations in Paris, and around the world. Courageously, the magazine went back on sale a week after the killings.²⁰

A more recent massacre that also generated a strong movement of resistance was the Parkland, Florida shootings that took place on Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2018. A 19-year-old ex-student carrying a legally-purchased assault weapon walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire, killing 17 students and staff, and injuring 17 others. The student survivors began what is now a national grassroots movement calling for gun reform and gun safety legislation at local, state and federal level. Five of the survivors organized the March For Our Lives rally held on 24 March in Washington, D.C., which attracted more than 800,000 people. Image banks of posters (for downloading and carrying on the march) were created by the design lab Amplifier, and online magazine Ad Age (Advertising Age). The student organizers of the March For Our Lives have now claimed the problem as a lifelong mission. A brave undertaking and necessary: from January to May 2018 (barely five months), there were 16 shootings at US schools resulting in injury or death.²¹

Later that year, another grassroots movement brought shouts of anger in the streets, this time emanating from France. Sparked off in mid-November by a planned tax rise on diesel and petrol, people took to the streets on weekends in violent protests, wearing the yellow high-visibility vests carried in all cars by law. They were called the ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests), they included all ages, and their numbers and anger escalated. They torched cars, smashed windows, threw stones and bricks – and their fury spread like wildfire; there were protests across the country. In Paris they carried out much of their destruction in the richer areas of the city, especially near the Arc de Triomphe (which they defaced). As the movement became more unified, their protest broadened to a demand for higher wages, lower direct taxes and public spending. Their biggest target was President Emmanuel Macron and his economic policies, viewed as favouring the rich. The ‘gilets jaunes’ had become ‘the people’ versus the government. By mid-January 2019, both the graffiti and the voices of the protesters called out ‘Macron, Resign!’ The front covers of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, throughout this period, caught the mood of frenzy and chaos. Satire, and satirists, love a revolution.²²

Now in the 21st century’s second decade, globalization – the interconnectedness of the world – can be seen through a shattered prism of destabilizing forces. Overly large, wealthy, global corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook (likened in a poster by Klaus Staeck to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) have massive economic control. We have witnessed more than ten years of rudderless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the destructive force of ISIS, and the on-going destruction of Syria. The global political pendulum keeps moving to the right, bringing with it the rise of populism and divisive social attitudes. Within this – as shown by Kate Evans’ graphic novel Threads – we are witnessing a global shift of populations: refugees and asylum seekers desperate to find safety, economic migrants in search of a better life. More than ever before, they call upon our humanity and our creativity, to recognize the need for change and action.

Poster protest: Politicians’ confusion over Leave or Remain (in the European Union) 2019
Photograph: Liz McQuiston

A ‘gilet jaune’ protester wears a gesture aimed at French President Macron 2018
Photograph: Piero Cruciatti

The War on Terror

The Brian Haw Peace Camp 2001–11
Brian Haw Photograph of Haw’s camp, taken from Mark Wallinger’s ‘State Britain’

Brian Haw’s ten-year, one-man protest began in 2001. He aimed to make the British government realise the damage done to Iraqi civilians, especially children, over the past ten years by UN economic sanctions imposed on Iraq (and backed by the UK). He camped across the street from the gates of the Houses of Parliament, round the clock, displaying signs, slogans, flags and shocking images. The installation grew to over 40 metres in length and well known artists such as Banksy contributed work to Haw’s camp. Although loved by much of the public, it was considered an eyesore and irritant by the government. Attempting to rid itself of Brian Haw’s protest, in 2005 the government passed new legislation – the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act – designed to curtail freedom of expression by making it an offense to organise or take part in a public protest within a one kilometre radius of Parliament Square (without the authorisation of the Metropolitan Police). Subsequently 78 police descended in the early hours of May 23, 2006 to remove everything in Haw’s protest that wouldn’t fit into a 3 x 2 metre space. In 2007 artist Mark Wallinger produced an installation entitled ‘State Britain’ that recreated meticulously Haw’s protest camp at its height – all 43 metres of it – within Tate Britain; it won the Turner Prize of 2007. Brian Haw resolutely continued his protest until his death in June 2011.

NO 2003
David Gentleman for the Stop the War Coalition
Poster

The Stop the War Coalition was established on 21 September 2001, in the wake of 9/11 and the start of the ‘War On Terror’. Over the following ten years, it managed and sustained the massive British public anti-war movement, organising over 40 national demonstrations including London’s historic ‘Don’t Attack Iraq’ demonstration of 15 February, 2003. Of all the work contributed by artists supporting its cause over the years, David Gentleman’s visual motif of words hit by ‘splashes of blood’ has been the most relentless and unsettling. Those splashes were present on many ‘NO’ posters carried in the demo of 2003 and have continued to be seen in installations and on posters up to the present day – a nasty stain that just won’t go away, and a reminder of mounting casualties. The Coalition carries on its work, for the threat of war remains ever present.

Don’t Attack Iraq Demonstration, London February 15 2003
Photograph: Scott Barbour

The extraordinary variety of slogans and home-made costumes, puppets, placards and other paraphernalia, marching through the streets of London on 15 February, 2003, matched the noise and excitement of that day. David Gentleman’s ‘NO’ poster often dominated, forming a sea of ‘NO’s and creating a powerfully orchestrated visual shout of anger.

iRaq 2004
Copper Greene and Forkscrew Graphics
Poster

Arguably the most iconic anti-war poster to be produced during the early years of the Iraq War, ‘iRaq’ combines the stylistic elements of Apple’s iPod advertising campaign with the silhouetted image of an Iraqi prisoner undergoing torture. The image of the hooded prisoner was made public following a whistleblower’s exposure of atrocities being committed by members of the US military serving at Abu Ghraib prison, and soon became symbolic of everything that had gone wrong with the war, making a heavy impact in both the USA and the UK. The poster was produced (in different versions) by two design collectives, Copper Greene and Forkscrew Graphics, and was available on the internet for downloading by anti-war activists.

He Lied. They Died. 2003–04
Milton Glaser for The Nation magazine
Badge

The Nation magazine produced a series of anti-Iraq War ‘Initiative Buttons’ (badges) that it sold to its readers, thus achieving wide circulation. Designed by Milton Glaser, they bore slogans that were both thought-provoking and hard-hitting. But the badge shown here stands out from the rest, mainly (but not only) for its shock value. It suggests that in any war, there are politicians and leaders, and there are inevitably lies. Obviously directed at US President George W. Bush, it could easily have been transported to the UK, where much of the anti-war protest was aimed at Prime Minister Tony Blair. For years after, a rising tide of negative public opinion would continue to haunt Blair for leading the UK into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, despite overwhelming protest.

Empire: Nozone IX 2004
Knickerbocker
Comic book/journal

The ninth issue of Nozone (a comic book of political satire), entitled Empire, is a compendium of work by artists, designers, photographers and writers interrogating and protesting against the condition of the USA after 9/11. The front cover illustration, ‘Deadly Alliance’ by comic artist Knickerbocker, provides a stark indication of the tone of the content.

Make Tea Not War 2003
Karmarama advertising and design agency
Poster/placard

On February 15, 2003, over one million people marched through London to protest against Britain’s entry into the war in Iraq. At the same time, similar anti-war marches took place around the world in over 300 cities and 60 countries. The British march drew people from around the country: young and old, families with baby buggies, seasoned activists, and first-timers. Karmarama’s poster ‘Make Tea Not War,’ featuring then prime minister Tony Blair holding an assault rifle and wearing a teacup on his head like a helmet, was one of the most popular posters within a stream of placards and slogans, which included ‘Not In My Name’, ‘Regime Change Begins At Home,’ and simply ‘NO’.

War on Terror: The Boardgame 2006
Andrew Sheerin and Andy Tompkins
Board game

Created by web designers Sheerin and Tompkins, this board game presents a satirical view of the (George W.) Bush Administration and the lead-up to the UK’s entry into the Iraq War. The game requires two to six players: each player builds an empire. An empire can decide to become a ‘terror state’, or it can become one by using the ‘Axis of Evil spinner’, and the player must then don an enclosed balaclava with ‘EVIL’ stitched across it. An empire can train terrorists to attack other empires, but the terrorists can use cards such as ‘Suicide Bomber’ or ‘Plane Hijack’ to get ahead. In the end, the empires compete and wage war against each other, using such tactics as ‘Regime Change’. The game sold 12,000 copies online and through independent stockists and achieved high status when one was seized from protesters by police and confiscated during a raid on a climate change camp, as the balaclava (with ‘EVIL’ stitched on it) could be used to conceal a person’s identity during a criminal act.

Wish We Weren’t Here! 2003
Martin Rowson
Poster (offset)

Martin Rowson’s illustration shows a beach scene with all the stereotypical summertime characters, but with a satirical twist. The muscle-man is US President George W. Bush, who is shown throwing an inflatable US missile to Saddam Hussein, President (and despot) of Iraq. The 90-pound weakling, about to join Bush in kicking and destroying Saddam’s sandcastle is British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Meanwhile the Grim Reaper, the skeletal symbol of death, is pouring oil on to its arm instead of sun-tan lotion (hence Ambre Despaire replaces Ambre Solaire.) This is one in a series of posters produced near the start of the Iraq War, intended to oppose the war and raise funds for the Stop the War Coalition. The posters carried images by a number of Britain’s leading graphic artists.

Photo Op 2005
kennardphillipps
Photomontage

In this kennardphillipps photomontage, former Prime Minister Tony Blair is shown taking a selfie against a background of burning oilfields. When it first appeared, it reflected the rising chorus of anger and disapproval from members of the public, who blamed Blair for leading Britain into wars in Afghanistan and then Iraq, despite London’s ‘biggest political protest in British history’ which he more or less ignored. The anger grew as time went on; the Iraq War extended to nearly eight years of conflict. British troops finally withdrew from Iraq in 2011. However, in Afghanistan the military struggled on for over ten years; British troops finally withdrew in 2014.

The Gray Drape 2004
Martha Rosler
Poster (silkscreen and offset)

US artist Martha Rosler responded to US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq with this photomontage, one of a series entitled ‘Bringing the War Home: House Beautiful (Iraq)’. It combines the notion of modern home living in the West with the carnage created by foreign wars. Critiquing the waging of wars in distant places also informed Rosler’s earlier work, when during the Vietnam War she juxtaposed imagery of model US home interiors, with photographs of Vietnamese civilians and soldiers, in her series ‘Bringing the War Home: House Beautiful’ (c. 1967–72).

Make Out, Not War 2008
Favianna Rodriguez
Poster

This modern update of a well-worn slogan (Make Love, Not War) sizzles with attitude, in a poster produced for the highly active, women-led peace group known as CODEPINK. Founded by Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, their name satirizes the (George W.) Bush administration’s Homeland Security colour-coded alert system (yellow, orange, red) warning of a potential terrorist threat. CODEPINK backed Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential elections and his removal of troops from Iraq in 2011. However, it was distressed by his decision to then increase troops in Afghanistan. Obama also engaged in drone warfare soon after his inauguration and continued to favour high-tech weaponry. Shocked by the civilian casualties involved, CODEPINK has continued to campaign against drone warfare.

You Have a Dream, I Have a Drone 2013
The United Unknown
Electronic (online) poster

After withdrawing US troops from the Iraq War in 2011, Barack Obama increased the US military presence in Afghanistan and ramped up the controversial use of drones (remotely piloted, unmanned aircraft) to pinpoint Al-Qaida and its associates. The idea of fighting a sanitized war from the air, which seemed to inflict heavy collateral damage, didn’t go down well with some US citizens as well as those in US-friendly countries. This electronic poster, created by an anonymous group of online activists calling themselves the United Unknown, manipulates the famous quote from Martin Luther King – ‘I Have a Dream’ – to protest Obama’s use of drones.

2011–14: Years of Revolution

Tahrir Square Protest 2011
Photographer: Mia Gröndahl
Photograph

The ‘Year of Revolutions’ (2011) had its beginnings in the Middle East. ‘The Arab Spring’, as it was labelled by the media, owed much of its spread from country to country, to developments in digital technology and its new connectivity. Broadband had arrived in internet cafés and other public computers, and smartphones and social media allowed for the uploading of imagery. Revolutions could now be shared between countries. So when a poor, oppressed fruit-seller self-immolated in the street in Tunisia, images and videos of the horror were watched by young Egyptians. When the fruit-seller died of his wounds in January 2011, Tunisia revolted and its president fled. Egypt soon followed with its own protests (the heart of its revolution was located in Tahrir Square, Cairo) and by February had ousted its president. The spirit of revolution spread to other countries in the Middle East, including Syria, where protests raged against President Bashar al-Assad. Inspired by this series of events, Europe followed and over the next three years further protest movements would take place in Spain, Greece, the USA, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Britain and Hong Kong (2014). All would generate extraordinary street art (murals), photographs, graphics or videos, chronicling protests, spreading information or satirizing brutal leaders. In the images shown here, photographer Mia Gröndahl caught the atmosphere of hope, joy and anger found in the protests in Tahrir Square, as well as people’s awareness of the media and the opportunity to send messages to the world. The baby is adorned with a written message to the hated Egyptian president: ‘Leave’.

The Day We Changed Egypt, 25 January 2011
Photographer: Mia Gröndahl
Photograph

Taking part in the protest in Tahrir Square, a young man proudly holds up a t-shirt saying ‘The Day We Changed Egypt, 25 January’, while another views it slightly bemused. The twenty-fifth of January, 2011 was the day that revolution erupted in Egypt and thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the current regime.

The 2Vth, Anonymous Pharaoh 2011
Marwan Shahin
Street Art and book cover

When the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, was ousted, illustrator and designer Marwan Shahin produced this brilliant example of street art, drawing the pharaoh Tutankhamun wearing the mask used by hacktivist group Anonymous and adopted by protesters everywhere. The drawing was also used on the cover of the book Walls of Freedom: Street Art of the Egyptian Revolution (2014), which chronicles the wealth of street art (murals, stencilling) produced throughout the protests.

Syria’s uprising against President Bashar al-Assad led to quick, vicious retaliation by the regime followed by a protracted mire of violence, civil war, and fighting between different factions. ‘Dissidents’ were pursued; the regime’s crackdowns and massacres of its own people continued and made world headlines. The earlier years of the conflict produced an outpouring of resistance art, graphics, photography and videos. Some of it was produced by anonymous collectives or people ‘on the ground’; some of it was produced by activists in Syria or abroad (the diaspora). Numerous revolutionary posters were created by the anonymous collective Alshaab Alsori Aref Tarekh (The Syrian People Know Their Way), fifteen activists from Syria and abroad. They posted their images to Facebook and Flickr for activists to download and use in demonstrations, as well as to express solidarity and record on-going events in Syria.

Translations:

(Image A) President of Syria Bashar al-Assad is shown with a vulture on his head. The text reads: ‘The regime is a rotting corpse. Bury it with its diseases.’

Syrian Revolutionary Posters 2011–12
Alshaab Alsori Aref Tarekh (the Syrian People Know Their Way)
Electronic (online) posters

(Image B) The poster reads: ‘I’m going to protest’.

(Image C) The poster reads: ‘The spirit of Palestine is in the hearts of all revolutionaries’.

About a Young Man Called Kashoosh 2011
Khalil Younes
Pen-and-ink drawing

Syrian artist Khalil Younes created a series of drawings entitled Revolution 2011, including iconic images of people and objects from the 2011 revolution, as well as key events from Syria’s past. This drawing from that series is a portrait of the inspirational singer-songwriter Ibrahim Qashoush who was critical of the regime, and sang his revolutionary song ‘Yalla irhal ya Bashar!’ (‘Come on, Bashar, Get Out!’) during mass demonstrations in Hama and other cities. His portrait represents the many victims who were brutally murdered in the 2011 uprising.

Top Goon: Diaries of a Little Dictator 2011
Masasit Mati
Still of online video (with hand puppets)

During the revolution, the anonymous group Masasit Mati used hand puppets to create biting, five-minute videos posted on YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook. This included the absurdist, satirical series ‘Top Goon: Diaries of a Little Dictator’ in which the puppet ‘Beeshu’ (a representation of Bashar) takes the form of a sniffling weakling who has nightmares, never knows what to do and is forever taking bad advice from those around him. The small size of the puppets was intentional; it allowed them to be easily hidden from the police when being transported.

Unete al Movimiento 15M (Join the 15M Movement) 2011
Voces con Futura (Voices of the Future)
Poster (silkscreen and offset)

Inspired by the Arab Spring and angered by austerity measures, a major demonstration was held on 15 May 2011 in Madrid’s main square, La Puerta del Sol. Within two days, 200 people were camped in the square; by the end of that week there were 25,000. They were called ‘Los Indignados’ (the Outraged) or the ‘15M’ movement, after their start date. Although they left the square voluntarily by 2 August, they had forced public debate into the open, and continued to demonstrate throughout the year. They recruited millions of supporters via social networking and made an impact internationally. Also, at the start of the protests, an online image-bank for the movement was created anonymously, entitled Voces con Futura (Voices of the Future). Professional designers, illustrators and graphic artists uploaded signs, banners and posters for free download by activists and demonstrators, creating an impressive archive of high-quality work. In the image-bank poster shown here, Alberto Korda’s iconic 1960 photo of Che Guevara has Che wearing an Anonymous mask (the mask of the protester).

Police Violence in Greece 2008
Artist unknown
Poster

Greece’s debt crisis, austerity measures and high unemployment were exacerbated by the fatal police-shooting of a 15-year-old student on 6 December 2008. Six weeks of demonstrations followed, as well as rioting in Athens and other cities throughout Greece. By 2011, not much had improved with the economy, rioting was still frequent, police brutality and the murder of the student was still in mind, and extremism was on the rise. The poster image shown here was carried by many people at the 2008 protests of the student-shooting.

Dirty Rotten Art Works 2011
Artist: DRB
Postcards

The police-shooting of a 29-year-old black man from north London was the flashpoint for the rioting and looting that followed throughout London and spread to at least nine other British cities. The overriding anger was considered to be rooted in social and economic inequalities, as well as the obvious wealth and private school education of the prime minister and his cabinet (the ‘ruling class’, who dealt out austerity cuts to the rest of the country); the heat of that August simply fanned the flames. The profile of the rioters was confused, from angry adults (no job, no prospects, no future) to opportunistic looters and nine-year-old kids. The riots calmed down after a week, but the anger of a divided society stayed – waiting for the next opportunity for pay back. The satirical postcards produced by artist DRB (parodies of matchbox illustrations) depict the attitude of the time, with colourful but unsettling images.

What is Our One Demand? 2011
Concept: Kalle Lasn
Art direction: Pedro Inoue and Will Brown
Poster

This Adbusters poster, featuring in the July 2011 issue of the magazine, announced the 17 September meeting in Zuccotti Park that kickstarted the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ encampment. Angry at corrupt politicians, the financial institutions that caused the 2008 crash and the austerity measures which followed, nearly 300 slept in the park and established the protest camp, acquiring the slogan ‘We are the 99%’, relating to reports that the majority of the country’s wealth was owned by only 1%. The camp generated its own newspaper, The Occupied Wall Street Journal, and offered discussions, meetings, free food and medical care. Although the protesters were evicted by 15 November, the Occupy movement staged ‘Day of Action’ protests in cities throughout the USA and the movement spread throughout the world, carrying with it the slogan ‘We are the 99%’.

Occupy George currency stamp 2011
Artists: Ivan Cash and Andy Dao (Occupy George)
Hand-stamps

Activists Cash and Dao produced a set of hand-stamps bearing messages and infographics about the disparity of wealth in the USA, which were used to stamp dollar bills as an accompaniment to the Occupy protests, hence their name: George Washington appears on the one dollar bill. The notes were then put back in circulation, and remained legal as long as security features on the bills were avoided. The designs were placed on the internet for use by all.

The Occupied Times of London (#02) 2011
Artists: Tzortzis Rallis and Lazaros Kakoulidis
Newspaper

On 15 October 2011 the activist group Occupy London landed its protest camp in the small area of pavement in front of St Paul’s Cathedral. It was greeted with confused reactions from the Anglican Church (some soul-searching was required before the camp was allowed to stay) and irritation from the City of London as well as the news media. Nevertheless, the camp thrived – it staged organized debates and lectures, offered food to visitors and produced occasional performances – and sustained a long-term presence, with a final eviction date of 28 February. It was also a very visual affair, with posters and placards stuck to tents in the camp, on trees and surrounding buildings. Plus The Occupied Times of London newspaper was produced, starting as a weekly of 12 A4 pages and eventually growing to a 24-page monthly. Designed by Rallis and Kakoulidis, the newspaper was shortlisted for the ‘Designs of the Year 2013’ award staged by the London Design Museum.

Occupy London Protester with Anonymous Mask 2011
Photographer: Jeremy Barr
Photograph

Occupy London protesters often wore masks when facing the media, but not necessarily when facing the British public and tourists who were usually very friendly.

Occupy London 2011
Artist unknown
Flyer/leaflet

This Occupy London leaflet was very much in evidence at the start of the protest, as it announced the camps’ arrival to anyone wishing to be involved, and carries the (now international) slogan ‘We are the 99%’.

Anti-World Cup Mural 2014
Artist: Paulo Ito
Mural and electronic image

Discontent erupted in Brazil in 2013 when its politicians pushed for the hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. At the time its main cities suffered from overcrowding, weakened social services and low living standards. The lavish spending on ‘FIFA-standard’ stadiums clashed badly with cries of political corruption, poor medical facilities, overcrowded hospitals and high rates of illiteracy. Protesters wielding signs outside the stadiums during the Confederations Cup games, the precursor to the World Cup, June 2013, demanding ‘FIFA-standard hospitals’ and ‘FIFA-quality schools’, were met with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets. Protests against the World Cup were present throughout the run-up to the event. This mural painting by São Paulo street artist Paulo Ito, of a starving child eating a football, went viral on social media in the run-up to the World Cup in May 2014.

Stencilled Memes 2013

Artists unknown
Stencils sprayed in the city

The gas mask became a sign of honour in Istanbul’s Gezi Park protests, and was depicted on the Twitter bird logo, as Twitter was crucial to the protesters for information dissemination. It also appeared on the face of a defiant penguin, a symbol of anger felt when a major news channel broadcast a bird documentary (with penguins) and ignored an extremely violent protest. From thereon, birds and penguins were depicted as having joined the protesters. A photo of a policeman pepper-spraying a woman in a red dress also became a social media icon, as well as being stencilled throughout Istanbul.

God Save the Sultan 2013
Artist unknown
Poster

When Istanbul’s Gezi Park was due for demolition and development (as a shopping centre), mass protests to save the park took place. The Occupy Gezi Park protests of May–June 2013 involved protesters taking over Taksim Square and occupying nearby Gezi Park, setting up food stalls, a library, a stage and so on while sending invitations via social media to a wide range of activists to join in. However, authoritarian Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the protesters and ordered a police crackdown on 31 May. Anti-government protests spread throughout the country. From thereon, reports and images emerging from the Taksim Square protests showed excessive use of violence including tear gas and water cannon. Protesters responded with innovative home-made gas masks, and satirized the violence through imagery which was spread through posters, social media or stencilled in the streets. The power struggle between Erdogan and his people ended with eight dead and thousands injured. In the protest poster shown here, Jamie Reid’s Sex Pistols cover for ‘God Save the Queen’ is manipulated to show Prime Minister Erdogan with the words ‘God Save the Sultan’, a comment on his growing authoritarianism.

Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution

Umbrella Man 2014
Artists unknown
Impromptu sculpture

After nearly a century of British governance, Hong Kong (on lease to Britain from China) was returned to its owner. Hopes of achieving a democratic system slowly faded under the repression of mainland China. In 2014, when announcements were made about the upcoming 2017 elections for the Hong Kong chief executive, it became clear that the Beijing authorities would insist on three pre-screened candidates. Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists demanded open elections and held the ‘Umbrella Revolution’ (September–December 2014). Peaceful public demonstrations took place, initiated by a protest group entitled ‘Occupy Central with Peace and Love’. Encampments were formed, and tens of thousands of protesters blocked thoroughfares and transport to Central, one of the world’s most important financial centres, often holding umbrellas. It was not always a calm affair. The sea of umbrellas, caught in many images appearing on social media, were of critical use: as protection against riot police brutality, tear gas and pepper-spray, as well as rain or the hot midday sun. Ribbons were worn in the adopted colour, yellow, symbolizing universal suffrage and serving as identifiers of the movement and its sympathizers. The protests also became known for the impromptu art pieces that flourished, and the extraordinary number of solidarity posters appearing on the internet. ‘Umbrella Man’, shown here, was a 3.6 m (12 ft) tall sculpture made of wood and set up by students outside the city government headquarters. Sadly, public support eventually waned and in mid-December the central protest site was shut down. Defiance has continued – online and in other ways – ever since.

Umbrella Revolution Protest 2014
Photographer unknown
Photograph

Protesters used umbrellas to protect themselves from the indiscriminate use of tear gas and pepper-spray by Hong Kong’s riot police, as shown here. Many without gas masks wore goggles and wrapped cling film around their heads (like a cap) or around their arms.

Umbrella Revolution Protest 2014
Photographer: Xaume Olleros
Photograph

A lone protester gestures defiantly through a fog of tear gas near the Hong Kong government headquarters. Finally tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters brought parts of central Hong Kong to a standstill on September 28, 2014, after an escalation of protests that had lasted for days.

Many solidarity posters appeared on the internet, often using the visual identifier of yellow umbrellas or yellow ribbons. Three of the artists involved are listed here:

(Image A) Yuko Shimizu, Japanese illustrator, New York City

Umbrella Revolution Solidarity Posters 2014
Various Artists
Electronic (online) posters

(Image B) Raven H. Ma

(Image C) Kit Da Sketch – Kit Man; the lettering at the top of the poster reads ‘Let’s Keep the Umbrella Up’ (the title of a song in Hong Kong, 2014, with lyrics about the Umbrella Revolution)

Russia: Pussy Riot, The Blue Noses

Pussy Riot’s Performance, ‘A Punk Prayer’ 2012
Photographer unknown
Photograph

The feminist Punk collective Pussy Riot was formed in 2011 as a reaction to Vladimir Putin’s possible return to the presidency of Russia in 2012. As Putin was about to regain the presidency, they planned an outrageous performance. On 21 February 2012, four of the collective’s members – wearing their trademark coloured balaclavas – performed ‘A Punk Prayer’ in front of the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, considered to be the heart of the Russian Orthodoxy. The song was laden with profanities, with a chorus of ‘Virgin Mary, drive Putin out’. Within 30 seconds the performance was stopped by church officials. Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (who came to be known as Masha, Katya and Nadya) were arrested and charged with ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’. A worldwide solidarity movement operated throughout their trial, sentencing and incarceration, and their coloured balaclavas became a global symbol of resistance. All were sentenced to two years in prison, but were eventually released early.

Free Pussy Riot with a Little Help from My Friends c. 2012
Artist: Jorge Artajo
Electronic (online) poster

During their trial and imprisonment, the slogan ‘Free Pussy Riot’ echoed around the world via internet or social media, often accompanied by colourful and/or outrageous posters and art pieces. This image is an appropriation of The Beatles’ 1967 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, designed by artist Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth. Only two Pussy Riot members are mentioned as Katya was freed on probation on appeal in October 2012; the other two were released in December 2013.

Pussy Riot Support Column 2012

Nationalists’ Column
Artist: Victoria Lomasko
Drawings

Both images are from the series ‘Chronicle of the Resistance’, which show different perspectives on support (or not) for Pussy Riot during the ‘March of Millions’, a series of mass anti-government rallies held in May, June and September 2012 in Moscow. In the image on the left (6 May) the woman’s poster reads: ‘Women’s business is a revolution, not a soup.’ In the image on the right (15 September), the women are chanting ‘Pussy Riot – in the trash!’ The flag reads ‘Glory to Russia!’

The controversial performance art duo the Blue Noses was founded in 1999 and consists of Alexander Shaburov and Viacheslav Mizin. Being from Siberia, they are crucial members of the Siberian separatist movement: solely an invention in the minds of artists from Siberia, but enough to cause worry to the authorities. They excel at social critique mixed with self-deprecation, irreverence, absurdist humour (with a great deal of nudity), and have been inclined to take the occasional poke at Vladimir Putin as well as other global leaders along the way. One of their classic pieces was ‘An Epoch of Clemency (Kissing Policemen)’, created in 2005 and labelled ‘pornographic’ in 2007 by the Minister of Culture, who denied it permission to be part of an exhibition in Paris. Influenced by Banksy’s ‘Kissing Coppers’ (2004), it showed two men dressed in the uniform of the Russian military kissing passionately in a birch forest. But they then proceeded to ensure that they had included all of Russia’s most favoured icons (the military, ballet, sport) by adding Kissing Airbornemen, Kissing Ballerinas and Kissing Football Players. It’s a satirical as well as a confrontational statement, created in a country deeply intolerant of LGBT culture.

(Image A) Kissing Policemen

An Epoch of Clemency (Kissing Policemen) 2005–09
Artists: The Blue Noses
Photographers: The Blue Noses
Photographs

(Image B) Kissing Football Players

(Image C) Kissing Airbornemen

(Image D) Kissing Ballerinas

LGBT Issues

Libération (Vive les Mariés), 23 April 2013
Artists: Pierre et Gilles
Newspaper: front page

The year 2001 brought full rights of marriage to same-sex couples in the Netherlands, instilling the possibility that more countries would follow. So they did, although it wasn’t necessarily easy. France achieved it in 2013, despite protests from right-wing groups. The newspaper, Libération, celebrated with a front-page art portrait by famed duo Pierre et Gilles: Pierre Commoy, photographer and Gilles Blanchard, painter. Produced in their fantasy-style, with a touch of the erotic, the image presents a life-size portrayal of the two figurines that stand on top of the wedding cake. The face floating behind them is the then French President François Hollande, who signed the legislation into law. The UK soon followed, with the first same-sex marriages taking place in March 2014. Finally, on 25 June, 2015, the White House was illuminated with the rainbow colours, as a Supreme Court ruling sanctioned same-sex marriage in all 50 states. By 2017, over two dozen countries had legalised same-sex marriage.

We Will Not Live In Fear (the Pride Parade) date unknown
Photographer unknown
Photograph

The first Gay Pride March took place in New York City in 1970, the year following the Stonewall Riots. As time went on, it was copied in other countries: an opportunity to assert not only LGBT presence, but also to celebrate it in a colourful and joyful way. It is now a massive celebration in many countries around the world; ‘Pride London’, normally held in June, now expects to attract an estimated one million visitors. The great international connector is the use of the rainbow gay pride flag designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, which remains the modern LGBT flag of six coloured stripes.

Some People Are Gay. Get Over It! c. 2014
Stonewall
Poster, postcard, sticker

Stonewall (named after the 1969 riots) is a forceful LGBT rights charity in the UK, founded in 1989. Its attitude, with regard to promotional material, is necessarily aggressive and confident, and matches its motto: ‘Acceptance Without Exception’.

My Trans American Road Trip 2016
Channel Four and Documentary Film-maker Abigail Austen
Television promotion and newspaper advertisement

As America’s mood was shifting slowly to the right in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, North Carolina became the first state to pass the Bathroom Bill in March of that year. The controversial Bathroom Bill stated that people must only use public toilets of the gender stated on their birth certificate. It became a cause célèbre for many people including LGBT activists who viewed it as discrimination against transgender people. It would also become an element in the political battleground of the presidential election, as North Carolina was a ‘swing state’ (capable of shifting the country’s majority-vote from Democrat to Republican). Armed with a film crew, Abigail Austen – British foreign affairs correspondent, transgender woman and LGBT activist – travelled through North Carolina, confronting the prejudiced attitudes that gave birth to such discrimination and the lives being damaged by it. The resulting documentary, ‘My Trans American Road Trip’, presented an emotional, and at times frightening, view of an America that is rarely seen by the rest of the world.

Gays Against Guns (GAG) Logo and ‘Die-In’ Action 2016
Logo Artists: Gays Against Guns
Photograph: Photographer unknown

In June 2016, a gunman with a military-style assault rifle opened fire on clubbers at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Florida: 49 people lost their lives, 53 were wounded. News of the incident sparked the formation of a collective in New York City calling themselves Gays Against Guns (GAG), founded by John Grauwiler, Kevin Hertzog and Brian Worth. Their members include several veterans of the US activist group known as ACT UP, which in the late 1980s combatted government inaction on AIDS. GAG began a campaign of civil disobedience and direct action against gun companies and their supporters. Campaigns have included ‘die-in’ actions: for example, a protest including people of all ages, was led by dozens of silent, white-veiled figures carrying placards with the names and faces of victims from Pulse, as well as some of the 20 six- and seven-year olds massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut in 2012. The procession headed for the offices of BlackRock, one of the biggest investors in gun companies. On arrival, GAG members stormed the BlackRock offices, holding placards saying ‘Gun$ sell. People die. $tock soars.’ They then performed a ‘die-in’ in the foyer with 12 protesters lying on the floor to represent 12 people killed in a cinema in Colorado in 2012, with weapons made by gun companies BlackRock supports. GAG also targets brands that partner with the National Rifle Association (NRA), including car rental companies, telling them to end their relationship with the NRA, or the LGBT community would end their relationship with them. GAG’s protests are necessarily visceral and direct, in an attempt to take on America’s gun death epidemic.

Black Lives Matter

I Am Trayvon Martin 2013
Artists: Jesus Barraza, Mazatl and Melanie Cervantes
Poster

People took to the streets to protest when a black, unarmed 17-year-old named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida in February 2012. Zimmerman was arrested, charged and upon facing a jury, received a verdict of ‘not guilty’. This incident and many others sparked the founding in 2013 of the solidarity network #BlackLivesMatter by three radical black organizers, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. It was intended as an affirmation of humanity while also providing a badly needed focus on how black lives were unjustly targeted and terminated. Gathering strength from its activities both online and off (attending protests), it has now become the Black Lives Matter Global Network, a movement with a website carrying actions taking place internationally while sounding a clear call for involvement and activism: Take Action, Fight for Black Lives.

In the summer of 2014, police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown as he left a convenience store in Ferguson, Missouri. Protests ensued, with protesters raising their hands in surrender, chanting ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’, believed to be (and later disputed) the final words spoken by Brown before he was shot. Nevertheless, the phrase became a national rallying cry for both media and protesters thereafter. That same summer, protesters were given yet another focus for their anger when, in New York City, police placed another man, Eric Garner, in a chokehold and held him down while he gasped ‘I can’t breathe’ (allegedly 11 times) and then died. The years 2014 and 2015 saw too many young black men dying at the hands of police who faced little or no accountability or punishment, adding fuel to a movement – Black Lives Matter – that still campaigns for social justice.

(Image A) Photographer: Jewel Samad

Signs of Protest 2014–15

(Image B) Photographer: David Bro

(Image C) Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon; Protester: actress Logan Browning Photographs

A Man Was Lynched By Police Yesterday 2015
Artist: Dread Scott
Flag

Dread Scott’s political art often references history, which he then relates to the present. Or, in his words, he is ‘propelling history forward’. Even his professional name references the historic Dred Scott case of 1857, when Scott (a slave) appealed to the Supreme Court for his freedom but was told that all blacks, slaves or free, were not and could never be citizens of the United States: a highly controversial response that foreshadowed the Civil War. In 2015, unarmed black man Walter Scott (no relation) was stalked and shot dead by a policeman in South Carolina. In response, Dread Scott produced an updated version of a flag that the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) flew from its New York headquarters the day after a race-based lynching (hanging) of a black person. This procedure continued throughout the period 1920–38. The NAACP flag stated simply ‘A Man Was Lynched Yesterday’; Dread Scott added the words ‘By Police’. Thus the horrors of the past still haunt us today. The updated flag highlights the racist police terror that has prevailed, both then and now, and the importance of resistance.

Sign of the Times 2001
Artist: Dread Scott
Screenprint on aluminium
Photograph 2003

Dread Scott installed his ‘Sign of the Times’ on a street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, five days after – and on the site – where Floyd ‘Fly Ty’ Quinones was killed in April 2003. Apparently neighbours loved the project and suggested ‘Danger: Police in Area’ stickers. The work was only on view for eight hours, then removed. This project preceded Scott’s flag project ‘A Man Was Lynched By Police Yesterday’ by 12 years: a shocking reminder of the on-going nature of the problem of black killings by police.

Women’s Rights

The Women’s March on Washington, D.C. January 21 2017
Photographer: Mario Tama
Photograph

The day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President (Saturday, 21 January 2017), women all over the world marched for women’s rights and in protest against his sexist attitudes. During Trump’s election campaign, allegations were made that he groped women (which he denied), while comments caught on microphone that he dismissed as ‘locker room talk’ had caused extreme offence, particularly his comment about women generally: ‘Grab them by the pussy’. Over half a million protesters joined the March on Washington, an estimated 100,000 marched in London alone (with more in nine other British cities), plus 600 ‘sister marches’ took place around the globe in cities reaching from Europe, Africa and Asia to Australia and New Zealand. Groups of travellers even sent photos of themselves holding placards and signs of solidarity from Antarctica. The last global count of protesters reached five million. Although celebrities and other notables made speeches in Washington, London and elsewhere, the real stars were the marchers (women, men, families) and the humour they applied to messages carried on signs and placards. There were ‘pussy-grabbing’ retorts such as ‘This pussy grabs back!’ as well as pink knitted pussyhats with cats-ears worn by the crowds, courtesy of a knitting pattern posted online. Some signs hinted at earlier phases of feminism: ‘Now you’ve pissed off grandma’ (followed by an obscene gesture), or ‘I can’t believe we still have to fight for this shit’. Others were just funny – ‘Does this ass (drawing of Trump) make my sign look big?’ – or threatening: ‘History has its eyes on YOU’.

We the People 2017
Shepard Fairey
Poster series

Street artist and illustrator Shepard Fairey designed the ‘We the People’ series of three posters for the Women’s March of January 2017. Produced in collaboration with the Amplifier Foundation, the posters protested against President-elect Donald Trump by depicting a Muslim woman, a Latino woman and an African-American girl (one image per poster). They all represented groups that Fairey thought might be excluded or have a hard time in Trump’s America. A large number were crowdsourced and printed, as well as being downloadable for free. They resonated strongly with the marchers, and were not only ubiquitous in the Washington and London marches but also maintained a strong presence in marches around the world.

A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance 2017
Hayley Gilmore (Ladies Who Design)
Poster

Graphic designer Hayley Gilmore of ‘Ladies Who Design’, based in Mississippi, USA created this popular poster for the Women’s March in Washington or ‘wherever you are’ (free and downloadable). The poster features General/Princess Leia Organa from the Star Wars films as a source of inspiration, and was also intended as a tribute to the life and legacy of Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia, who died at the end of 2016. It featured strongly in the Women’s March: London absolutely loved it.

Guerrilla Girls, Art Activism 1985–2018
Guerrilla Girls
Posters and photograph

The US feminist art activist group known as Guerrilla Girls was founded in 1985, producing spontaneous street posters that exposed sexual and racial discrimination in the New York art world. They have managed to carry on their fight against discrimination in the art establishment by expanding their activities and their reach: they produce street projects and exhibitions (with museums) all over the world, publish books, make appearances, give lectures and have an in-your-face online presence. Plus their point of attack has not gone away; they still have good reason to protest against discrimination – with regard to gender, race and other issues – in the global art establishment and creative industries. Their anonymity, preserved by wearing gorilla masks or costumes, has ensured their longevity: apparently over 55 people have been members over the years, for varying lengths of time. Their current work, including the posters shown here, shouts out the lack of improvement. They may still have to wage guerrilla warfare for quite some time.

Shout Your Abortion 2015
Civilization
Hashtag, poster campaign and website

The hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion, launched by Seattle design practice Civilization in September 2015, aimed to create an empowering communication line where people could discuss their abortion experiences without fear or shame. Since then it has been used more than 250,000 times, some possibly discussing their experiences without shame for the first time in their lives. Civilization also designed a poster campaign and a website where visitors could upload videos, write, download material and learn.

A Prisoner No More 2018
Artist: Laura Dumm
Painting / Digital image

The empowering flood of (verbal) responses generated on social media by the #MeToo movement also encouraged supportive visual statements. Suddenly the internet was full of #MeToo art: logos, illustrations and other imagery that called for an end to sexual abuse and demanded a review of the power imbalances that still existed in society. One of the most intriguing of these internet images was Cleveland artist Laura Dumm’s surreal composition ‘A Prisoner No More’, in which a graphic rendering of Botticelli’s Venus was plagued by timeless (including modern) symbols of male domination and physical assault. It signalled that such behaviour has been going on for centuries. Now it’s time for change!

Nowhere to Hide 2017
Illustrator: Barry Blitt
Front cover: The New Yorker, 27 November, 2017

The #MeToo movement was initiated by an exposé of sexual assault allegations (by Hollywood actresses) against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. When actress Alyssa Milano made a call to action on social media, millions of women – and some men – felt empowered and used Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to disclose the harassment or abuse they faced in their own lives. It became a global discussion about men’s behaviour towards women and the power imbalances regarding gender still present in society. This illustration harks back to the events that kicked off the movement: accounts, given by women, of Harvey Weinstein’s misbehaviour (including where he would excuse himself from a one-to-one ‘business’ meeting and then return, to their shock, wearing nothing but a robe). The traditional annual New York Thanksgiving Day Parade, held at the end of November, is known for its massive balloons of cartoon characters, five or six storeys high. Here Betty Boop, the sexy, cinematic cartoon character of the 1930s and a well-loved Hollywood symbol, peers into a hotel window as she floats past and is ‘flashed’, to her dismay, by a figure resembling Harvey Weinstein.

And Nevertheless She Persisted 2017
Artist: Peter O. Zierlein
Poster

Here Peter O. Zierlein’s sharp and colourful paper-cut technique packs a punch for the feminist cause. It relates to an incident in the US Senate in 2017, when Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren objected to Trump’s nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General. She began reading out a rather long letter from 1986 by Coretta Scott King (wife of Martin Luther King), who opposed Sessions’ earlier appointment as a federal judge. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell interrupted Warren’s speech, accusing her of violating a Senate rule that said, more or less, a Senator cannot demean another Senator. The Senate then voted along (Republican) party lines to stop Warren from continuing to speak during the debate. Following the vote, McConnell defended the action of the Senate by saying that Warren had violated a rule, had been warned and had been given an explanation … ‘nevertheless, she persisted’. Warren later read King’s letter in its entirety outside the Senate chamber. Produced as a Facebook video, it was viewed nearly 13 million times. At the same time, ‘Nevertheless, she persisted’ became a feminist rallying cry. To many it represented the age-old practice of silencing women, thereby excluding them from political discourse.

Eco-Disasters, Eco-Crimes

Voodoo 2005
Artist: Richard Boynton (Wink design firm)
Poster

Environmentalism in the 21st century is no longer about warnings of what may happen; it is now more about how to deal with consequences. The roll call of disasters includes global warming (the rise of the earth’s temperature resulting from human abuse of the earth’s natural resources); the extinction of insects and animals; the pollution of air and water; the ubiquity of plastics in the ecosystems of both nature and the home; the changing weather patterns that bring overwhelming storms resulting from phenomena related to global warming; and more. Most, if not all, of the issues listed are now considered to be at crisis level. All can be said to involve human error or selfishness. The graphics on the following pages might initially appear satirical or humorous but they are all, in the end, damning in their call to action. When the monstrous Hurricane Katrina hit the US south coast in 2005, it obliterated much of New Orleans; the breaching of its levees left over 80% of the city submerged (often the poorer sections) and 80–100,000 residents stranded. Richard Boynton’s poster aims harsh criticism at the shamefully slow response of President George W. Bush and federal agencies. The poster was part of the Hurricane Poster Project, raising funds to support Katrina’s victims.

The Hurricane Poster Project 2005
Artist: John Foster (Bad People Good Things)
Poster

This poster, designed and illustrated by John Foster, is another product of the US design community’s Hurricane Poster Project, which raised money for the American Red Cross through sales of its posters. The quote that appears within the poster (in the top left corner) is recording artist Kanye West’s famous statement to the media, ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people’, as some of the areas worst hit by Katrina were poor, black neighbourhoods. This poster was extremely popular, raised significant funds for the Red Cross, and hung in the Louisiana Statehouse.

Octopus Vulgaris 2010
Jude Landry
Poster

In April 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, producing the biggest crude oil spill in US-controlled waters to date. Jude Landry created this poster to raise awareness and funds for the oil spill clean-up. The leaked oil landed along the coastline of the Gulf States: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas. The poster also remarks on the fragility of the Gulf States’ economies and the USA’s dependence on feeding its oil needs.

Redesigns of BP’s Logo 2010
Varied artists
Logos

At the time of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a website that normally generated competitions for designing business logos created a competition to redesign BP’s logo, as a ‘culture-jamming’ experience. A vast number of design contributors piled on to the site to (very skilfully) vent their ire. The exercise became one of the website’s most successful competitions – ever.

Climate War 2017
Josh MacPhee
Poster

In this parody of a well-known First World War British recruitment poster, the little girl is asking her father what he (and his generation) did to try to stop the global warming that resulted in the rising seas, as they all sit together underwater. It’s a nightmarish vision of the future, and was mass-produced and distributed at the 2017 People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C.

Political Satire: In Your Face

Peacekiller: The Way To Find Bin Laden 2003
Kurt Jotter, Sebastian Grering and Thomas Rudolph
Poster (offset)

The 21st century has been a turbulent time for Britain and the United States – and their ‘special relationship’. Both countries were locked together in extended wars (Afghanistan and Iraq); both were suffering from the extreme rise of social divisions between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’; and in both artists, designers and the general population exercised their right to freedom of speech and protested, against these and many other issues, targeting their leaders. Political satire has been brutal and brilliant through the first two decades and shows no sign of easing up. This German parody of a war-film poster is actually announcing a demonstration, with date and time at the bottom. Pictured is the triumvirate of Tony Blair, on the left, acting the part of the young(ish), ready-for-anything hero; US Vice-President Dick Cheney, on the right, the knowing veteran with big guns; and President George W. Bush, centre, as the over-confident, bullying leader. In their desire to find Osama Bin Laden, they have bombed Afghanistan to rubble (although that might be him, very small, teasingly standing in the ruins). References are also made to Halliburton, one of the largest US civilian contractors in Iraq and closely connected to Dick Cheney, and Enron, the massive US energy trading corporation that collapsed after a scandal relating to ‘fraud and conspiracy’ in 2001.

Conservative Party Election Poster (With Graffiti) 2010
Graffiti artist unknown
Billboard poster

A billboard from the British general election campaign of 2010 shows David Cameron, head of the Conservative Party and soon-to-be newly elected prime minister. The graffiti relates to the view that Cameron and his cabinet – all private-school educated politicians – were a well-heeled, political elite who dealt out austerity cuts to the rest of the population. The school mentioned, Eton, is considered very upper-class.

Bollocks to Brexit 2018
Artist unknown
Stickers

Following a referendum held on 23 June 2016 (voting ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’), the UK population voted to ‘Leave’ the European Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered the process on 29 March 2017, with a scheduled leave date of 29 March 2019. The referendum results had been very close, and the negotiations of ‘Brexit’ (Britain + exit) have been very challenging. The process has seen constant public protests from both sides – those who wanted it, as well as those who didn’t – and British politicians have fought like cats and dogs over it. By summer 2018, the date this sticker appeared, ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ could have many interpretations. It might be seen as the continuing argument of the ‘Remain’ campaign still wishing to remain in the EU, but could also be seen as a statement of exhaustion by the general public, who have grown tired of the bickering and wish it would just go away.

Loser 2016–17
Artist: Vicki DaSilva
Photograph

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election brought a wide variety of strong, immediate reactions. American ‘light painter’ and ‘light graffiti’ artist Vicki DaSilva exploded with words such as ‘Loser’ or ‘Delusional’ slammed in light across the White House, making powerful single frame time exposure photographs at night.

Build Kindness Not Walls 2016
Artists: Jessica Walsh, Timothy Goodman and students of the School of Visual Arts Photograph

In the long run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, Jessica Walsh (of Sagmeister + Walsh, a New York design firm) and collaborator Timothy Goodman decided to react to Trump’s pre-election threat to build a wall between the USA and Mexico. They involved graphic design students at the School of Visual Arts in designing a kindness ‘wall’ around Trump Tower in New York City. On 15 March 2016 approximately 100 volunteers stood in front of the entrance for three hours, holding 101.5 x 152.5 cm (40 x 60 in) boards that spelled out ‘Build Kindness Not Walls’. As of March 2019, President Trump’s desire to ‘build the wall’ still remains a threat, not reality.

Trump: Make America Great Again 2016
Mitch O’Connell
Poster and t-shirt

Before, during and after the 2016 US presidential election, Trump was caricatured in a variety of formats, usually by artists in defiance of all he was and stood for, but also – at times – just for fun. His highly identifiable visual characteristics were a gift to artists and satirists around the world: the strange, blond quiff, the permanent orange tan, the huge bulk in a dark suit. Mitch O’Connell’s wonderfully surreal, monster-like Trump-zombie matched the feeling of Armageddon experienced by those appalled at his election victory, while also offering a spark of humour as a welcome survival tactic for the future.

Meltdown and Total Meltdown 2016
Edel Rodriguez
TIME magazine: two front covers

During the 2016 election campaign, TIME magazine’s front cover of 22 August carried a portrait by Edel Rodriguez of Trump (and possibly the Republican Party) in meltdown, due to his bombastic statements and disrespectful attitudes to women, the press and others. By 24 October, the Republican Party was even more worried about Trump, and TIME asked the artist to illustrate an even greater state of collapse.

Coward In Chief 2016
James Victore
Poster (silkscreen and offset)

Poster artist James Victore is renowned for being extremely direct and outrageously forceful. He shocks, he surprises, he is politically astute and on the side of social justice – and he (obviously) is against Trump. This poster shouts out a list of nasties, scrawled on what might be a dark, grim shadow of evil doing. Victore doesn’t allow Trump the joy of colour or emotion. The poster was originally designed for MoveOn.org, which campaigns for gun control, against war and other issues including resistance to Trump.

Trump Baby 2018

Artists: Leo Murray and colleagues
Photographer: Liz McQuiston
Inflatable blimp, stickers

When Donald Trump arrived for his three-day visit to the UK (beginning 13 July 2018), London was ready for him. Crowdfunded by over 10,000 people, ‘Trump Baby’ – a 20-ft-high inflatable blimp of Trump wearing a diaper, clutching a cellphone and throwing a temper tantrum – was created by British activist Leo Murray and his colleagues, the ‘Trump Babysitters’. The blimp was given permission by the Mayor’s office to fly for two hours (no higher than 100 feet) anchored to a spot in Parliament Square, across the street from Big Ben. After its descent, Trump Baby was inflated again a few hours later and held above the heads of protesters gathering in Parliament Square. Meanwhile two mass demonstrations, with different starting points, marched through London, aiming to coalesce in the Trafalgar Square/Whitehall area. The ‘Together Against Trump’ demonstration brought massive representation from political parties and unions, and some of their leaders, packed together in Trafalgar Square to hear talks from guest speakers. The other demonstration, ‘Bring the Noise’, organized by the Women’s March London coalition, marched with pots, pans, drums and other instruments to ‘protest with noise’, often in costume. They were headed down the middle of Whitehall, when the protesters from Parliament Square suddenly hurried towards them, carrying Baby Trump jubilantly over their heads. The two groups met for a ‘showdown’ in the middle of Whitehall, with those who ‘brought the noise’ blasting away at Baby Trump and finally forcing him back into Parliament Square: a joyous piece of street theatre. In the end, the real Trump avoided London on his visit, but an estimated 250,000 protesters made their voices heard.

‘Bring the Noise’ Demonstration 2018
Photographer: Liz McQuiston
Photographs

During the events of 13 July 2018 – Trump’s visit to the UK – the ‘Bring the Noise’ demonstration was accompanied by a sea of signs and placards with angry, but more often humorous statements, ranging from ‘Knitters Against Trump’ to ‘Feed Him to the Corgis’ (the Queen’s dogs).

Human Rights, Social Struggles

Je Suis Charlie (I Am Charlie) 2015
Artist: Joachim Roncin
Electronic poster (online) and print

The weekly French satirical comic magazine, Charlie Hebdo, could be viewed as the descendant of the 19th century French comic papers that excelled at ‘going too far’. Founded in 1969, it made its reputation over the years by outrageously mocking religious and political authority. In recent years, it continued to lampoon radical Islam, despite threats and government appeals for restraint, arguing that France’s freedom of speech gave it the right to criticize any religion. Then on 7 January 2015, two radical Islamist gunmen entered their Paris offices, killing twelve – including the editor, Stéphane Charbonnier – and injuring office staff, cartoonists and writers on the Hebdo team. This poster/graphic (Je Suis Charlie), designed by Joachim Roncin immediately after hearing the shock news of the massacre, instantly became a symbol of solidarity, defiance and the right to freedom of speech. It appeared in strength on social media and on marches and demonstrations.

Charlie Hebdo: The Survivors’ Issue
14 January 2015
Cartoonist: LUZ
Magazine: front cover

Charlie Hebdo: The Survivors’ Issue was defiantly back on sale a week after twelve people were killed in its offices, including its editor. Controversially, the cover bears a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed, weeping and holding a ‘Je Suis Charlie’ sign. Above him is the statement ‘All is forgiven’, apparently intended to be a message from the survivors to the terrorists.

Charlie Hebdo Unity Rally, Paris
10 January 2015
Artist: JR
Photographer unknown
Photograph

In solidarity, French artist and photographer JR and his studio produced a photographic image of the eyes of Stéphane Charbonnier (aka ‘Charb’), editor and chief cartoonist of Charlie Hebdo magazine and one of the twelve killed in the attack on the Hebdo offices. The image was divided across eight placards and carried by the marchers, as shown here in one of the many Unity Rallies held in France on Sunday, 10 January, 2015.

On Valentine’s Day (14 February) 2018, a 19-year-old ex-student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School carrying an assault rifle and killed 17 students and staff, and injured 17 more. The students immediately began a resistance movement calling for gun reform and gun safety legislation, protesting over social media as well as taking their cause to local, state and federal government. Five of the survivors also organized (and spoke at) the ‘March for Our Lives’ rally in Washington D.C. held on 24 March, attended by over 800,000 people. Before the march, online magazine Ad Age (Advertising Age) addressed the advertising community, which then created 1,000 billboards across the country (including two huge ones in Times Square) devoted to magnifying the students’ messages. Ad Age also briefed its readers, in partnership with the Gun Safety Alliance, to produce a bank of downloadable posters for carrying on the upcoming march, calling for an end to gun violence in the USA and particularly in schools. A number of those posters are shown here, along with the names of their creators.

(Image A) Dave Nieves

March For Our Lives 2018
Advertising Age magazine and various artists
Posters (for downloading)

(Image B) Shane Smith

(Image C) Adam Ledbury, Assoc. Creative Director, M/H VCCP ad agency

Protect Kids, Not Guns 2018
Artist: Micah Bazant; Photographer: Alex Edelman
Poster (offset)

When design lab Amplifier hosted an open call for the creation of poster art to be carried through the streets during the March For Our Lives rally, trans artist Micah Bazant produced this poster. It communicates a number of issues: it is an open call for gun reform, but its message could also be relating to Trump, who ‘protects guns’ in that he resists supporting gun reform and instead supports the National Rifle Association (NRA), a very strong gun lobby with voting power. Bazant also intended the poster to act as a reminder of the number of black youths killed by guns. The character in the poster has their ‘hands up’ and wears a t-shirt saying ‘don’t shoot’. This is a direct reference to the protest chant ‘hands up, Don’t shoot’, the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the targeting of black youths by the police. Amplifier printed 40,000 of these posters for distribution at the March For Our Lives rally.

Charlie Hebdo magazine 5 December 2018
Cartoonist: RISS
Front cover

By 2018 the pendulum of European politics was swinging to the right, with the election of new, ‘populist’ leaders and the growth of right-wing parties in previously stable, liberal countries such as Germany. But if some of Europe’s discontent with government was showing itself in political elections, the anger of the French was pouring out into the street. It began with a planned fuel tax rise. In mid-November, people protested on the weekends showing identification and solidarity by wearing the ‘gilet jaune’ (yellow vest) that all French carry in their car by law. The weekend protests spread through France, and grew in numbers and in violence. In Paris, they torched cars, smashed windows and defaced the Arc de Triomphe. The protests, at their peak numbering 300,000 across the country, gradually became more unified and transformed into a broader demand for higher wages, lower direct taxes and public spending increases. The ‘gilets jaunes’ movement became ‘the people’ versus the government, with all ages involved and criticism that President Emmanuel Macron acted ‘like a king’. By Saturday, 12 January, 2019 (the 9th consecutive weekend of unrest) there were still 80,000, across the country, taking part in protests against Macron’s economic policies, and the violence was still present in the streets. Early on in the protests, the satirical comic magazine Charlie Hebdo, never missing a chance to stir things up, produced this 5 December front cover in lurid yellow, with flames licking across its masthead, and a thuggish protester yelling (roughly translated) ‘Macron, give us the money! Or we’ll burn the Underpass!’ (meaning they’ll burn the structure on which society sits).

The Apocalyptic Riders (after Albrecht Dürer) 2014
Klaus Staeck
Poster and postcard

In a warning of impending doom, Klaus Staeck places the names of four 21st century global corporations upon Albrecht Dürer’s familiar woodcut, ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’, created in 1498. The four horsemen represent (from left to right) death, famine, war and conquest: a warning of evils to come at the end of the world. There are plenty of misgivings about the size (and arguably low tax payments) of the global corporations mentioned, and their tendency to keep expanding into new areas of operation, while hiding under new names. In the 21st century, ‘big’ can feel threatening and controlling. We have been warned.

Solidarité avec les Réfugiés (Solidarity with Refugees) 2016
Dugudus
Poster

French graphic designer and illustrator Dugudus produced this poster as a call to all countries, especially European – some of which are labelled on the lifebuoys – to help refugees fleeing the war and misery of their countries at the risk of their lives. It also depicts a small boy attempting to scramble to safety within the lifebuoys, calling to mind a terrible tragedy. From the appearance of his clothes, the boy represents three-year-old Aylan Kurdi from northern Syria whose lifeless body was washed up on a beach in Turkey in September 2015. He was one of twelve Syrians who drowned when their boat capsized while attempting to reach the Greek island of Kos; all were escaping the war in Syria, and its occupation by Islamic State, at that point in time.

Threads: From the Refugee Crisis 2017
Author and artist: Kate Evans
Front cover and two inside pages

Over the past ten years, the displacement of populations from the Middle East – largely due to conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria – and the instability of various countries in Africa, have led to what is now referred to as ‘the refugee crisis’. Some of these groups, on leaving home, headed towards neighbouring ‘friendly’ countries and settled, often in refugee camps; some headed for Europe by what became well-worn but dangerous routes (often involving travel by sea). Those refugees travelling to Europe comprised two groups: asylum-seekers, escaping injury or death in their home country, or economic migrants, forced to find a new home or in search of work and a better life. Many died travelling by overloaded boats to reach Europe. In 2011 an ‘unofficial’ migrant camp began to grow outside Calais on the northern coast of France, filled with refugees from the Middle East and Africa, all with a hope of reaching Britain. The camp grew and grew, and became known as ‘the Jungle’ (by both news media and its inhabitants) largely due to its lack of facilities and poor conditions with regard to food, water, sanitation and health services. By the time the camp was finally dismantled (October 2016) and its inhabitants transported to housing and processing centres, up to 10,000 refugees were living there. British artist Kate Evans’ graphic novel ‘Threads’ gives a journalistic account of her visits to the Jungle, and relays her experiences from all angles: the friendliness and difficulties of the inhabitants, the attitudes and actions of the police and authorities, the terror felt by children involved, her motherly guilt at leaving her 12-year-old son to go on her trips, some of the angry responses she gets from the British public, and the incredible people she meets trying to do good. It is an incredible and frightening journey, drawn with passion.