Shepard Fairey, Obama Hope poster (2008)
Jim Fitzpatrick, Che Guevara poster (1968) - original photograph
image was outside of international copyright laws (due to the
communist state of Cuba), and so belonged to the Cuban people
Shepard Fairey, Russell Brand 'Messiah Complex' tour poster
Gerald Holtom, CND logo, 1958 - uses the semaphore symbols for the letters
Paris May 1968 posters, unknown - student revolution and occupation of the
school of fine arts, rejecting the Conservative government and mass unemployment
Emory Douglas, Black Panthers posters (1970)
There is an ongoing stylistic continuity between all of these works. Typically they all use quick and efficient processes such as screenprinting and wood cut, and handwritten or stencil typography and a red and black colour scheme feature heavily (red and black being symbolic of Socialism). There is a recognised political aesthetic that has become synonymous with brash messages and the challenge of social change. This aesthetic has risen out of the understanding that part of graphic communication come from cohesion, and the understanding of a particular language or messages within a particular context. There has been an obvious evolution of this style, with a common re-use of these distinct design factors.