Question 4

Art and design play a great influence on politics because politics try to convince the country to do whatever the country wants or the country aims to put a certain image to be persuasive. In order to achieve their goals, they needed to somehow convey their messages to the citizens and a way to do that is through art and design. The country would have to try to change other’s lifestyle and beliefs to match their own and because design is everywhere (it is the planning and creating of things for a purpose), one way to convince people of certain thoughts is through art and design.

For example, modernism is said as displaying new cultural motives: speed, scientific discoveries, electric technology, full mechanization, surveillance, urbanization, communication media, new social formations and gender roles (Lecture Notes). Because they are focused on these, modernism tried to make objects go with the “form follows function” (Louis Sullivan) and “sought the essence of material reality” and “addressed the basic functional and structural elements of items” (Penny Sparke). Therefore, the focuses were focused. When the country was high on technology, speed, and mechanization, which is society’s culture at one time, even design encouraged everyone to think that the focus was on that culture of making technology ad speed a big deal.

Also, design and art can also help convey particular political message too. For instance, modernism, which was basically eliminating ornamentation and making everything simple, was used to convey social equality. “Modernists’ rejection of conspicuous consumption…resulted in simplified geometry and minimal colours” which conveyed the political message that people should “commit to eroding distinctions between classes and providing environments that encouraged a lifestyle which could be shared across classes” (Penny Sparke). Here, designing everything to be made by less materials and simple aims to make everyone equal, which does connect to social and political issues and topics.

For war, art and design play a huge role, especially during the World Wars because there were big posters hung on the streets for everyone to see and there is propaganda. Propaganda really promoted men to fight for their country and women and children to help out while the men were at war. Propaganda was used also to antagonize the enemies. Here are a few examples:

Figure 1 on the left; Figure 2 center, Figure 3 on the right

 Figure 1 shows Uncle Sam recruiting soldiers for the war. The design and art of his facial expression and finger pointing hand gesture serve the purpose of convincing men to enlist because it is supposedly the right and brave choice to make.

Figure 2’s design serves the purpose to persuade women to become a nurse for the army. The glow and smile on a pretty woman combined with the choice of words is the art and design of this propaganda.

Figure 3 is designed to antagonize the Japanese after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His red dotted cap, uniform, skin tone and the font of the words make it clear that he is Japanese. His facial expression and hand gesture make him look evil, deceiving and cunning. This deception is intensified by the phrase on the poster “Go ahead, please- take the day off.” This is to convey that the Japanese are very deceiving and harmful.