I love Shepard Fairey's iconic Obama image, but as I discussed in an earlier post, I wonder if he hasn't been looking at propaganda designed to promote sinister charismatic leaders, such as Mussolini, or Mao.
The trope of leader as the head of the body politic is a classic of dictators' propaganda imagery, you see it in portraits of even lesser known strongmen like the subject of my obsession, jailer and persecuter of my family, Francisco Franco, below.
In his efforts to imitateMussolini, Franco had the benefit of a Fascist propaganda office in his territory, templates were created to quickly spray paint his portrait on the walls of newly-occupied towns and cities. These spray paint templates resemble the Fairey Obama icon quite a bit.
Here is an image of Franco, and Mussolini, below
Above is a fascinating photomontage where the masses are the black shirt uniform clad torso and the ben-day dots indicating the mechanically reproduced nature of the image echo the visual metaphor of a multiplicity unified in one body.
And of course, the masters of propaganda, the Maoists, had a way of fusing Mao with emblematic architecture, Tianamen Square, and the masses, just like Shepard Fairey places Obama within our national shrines of political power.
I still cannot get over the genius of Fairey in playing visually with Obama's bi-racial background, making his face two colors, but also perhaps alluding to his middle of the road be all things to all people persona.
One of my dear friends is in DC and has been describing the myriad T-shirt designs available on sale for the Inauguration. I requested the official Shepard Fairey "Obama with the Capitol behind him" image. However, now I am pondering what other tchotchkes I might buy to add to my political propaganda collection. I have many pins already: Obama's name in Hebrew, two versions of the Latinos for Obama, a Boricua for Obama, an Obama logo pin with the Puerto Rican flag instead of the Stars and Stripes, two of the Shepard Fairey from Philadelphia given to volunteers - one from the get out the vote weekend I participated in, with the word "Vote."
But the thong below just opens up so many possibilities.....and it's a great way to vet (hypothetical) sex partners for political correctness. Nice. It also goes well with the Che Guevara thong that I commented upon in an earlier Collecting Schlock post.
I am fascinated by the Presidential Barbie doll. I almost got it for my little niece who is now old enough to ask for Barbie instead of Polly Pockets for Christmas. I ended up getting her the traditional White one with a crazy long blonde weave and she seems to like it, but since she was so into Obama that she asked random people to vote for him while running errands with her parents, it could have been a nice motivational feminist PC toy for her. Well, there is always her birthday.
I might need to by the sneakers below. If only Andy Warhol were alive, not only would he paint a portrait of Obama, but he would probably design and wear these!
Ricardo Montalban, the suave, gentlemanly host of "Fantasy Island," died today. I remember him well from watching the show as a kid, but I did not know that he was an activist on behalf of the rights of Latino actors:
"In 1970, Montalban organized fellow Latino actors into an organization called Nosotros (“We”), and he became the first president. Their aim: to improve the image of Spanish-speaking Americans on the screen; to assure that Latin-American actors were not discriminated against; to stimulate Latino actors to study their profession.
Montalban commented in a 1970 interview:
“The Spanish-speaking American boy sees Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wipe out a regiment of Bolivian soldiers. He sees ‘The Wild Bunch’ annihilate the Mexican army. It’s only natural for him to say, ‘Gee, I wish I were an Anglo.”’"
Source AP (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28661103/)
Obituary from the LA Times http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-montalban15-2009jan15,0,3732229.story
I think I need to start a new string sharing Art History schlock that I collect. This stuff was sent to me by my dear friend who lives in Amsterdam. From top to bottom: wrapping paper, and chocolates. Regarding the latter, my favorite ever find was a chocolate bar at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, sadly no longer in production, whose wrapping reproduced Picasso's Guernica." Readers, please feel free to send me more!
As someone of Puerto Rican descent, I have a fascination with touristy souvenirs depicting the Island. I have a collection of ashtrays shaped like the Island that depict its products and natural landmarks. I also have a priceless table cloth, probably from the early 1950s, that is part of a series made depicting products and flora of the 50 states of the USA. The Puerto Rican one was an add-on, and I am shocked that people were interested enough in the Island then, since now it seems to me that most US citizens are unaware that their country has a lovely Caribbean colony.
The table cloth depicts not only Island products - pinneaples, coffee, tobacco, but also US military bases, including the ones recently and thankfully removed from Vieques Island. US soldiers are shown doing military exercises. But what fascinates me the most are the historical parallels created by US imperialism and the Columbus' "discovery" of the Island. Three key moments of invasion are conflated - Columbus' arrival, the entry of US troops on the Island when they invaded in 1898, and the activities of the US army in bases at the time the table cloth was produced. I wonder who was buying this type of object, I assume it was US tourists going to the Island, eating macaroni and cheese on Sunday with their kids, a "Leave it to Beaver" suburban scenario, did they notice the violence depicted in their quotidian object?
Parlato: Cara, cosa mi succede stasera, ti guardo ed è come la prima volta. Darling, what's happening to me this evening, I look at you and it's like the first time. Canto: che cosa sei, che cosa sei, che cosa sei What are you, what are you...
Parlato: Non vorrei parlare. I wouldn't want to speak. Canto: Cosa sei
Parlato: Ma tu sei la frase d'amore cominciata e mai finita. But you are the phrase of love, begun and never finished. Canto: Non cambi mai, non cambi mai, non cambi mai. You never change...
Parlato: Tu sei il mio ieri, il mio oggi You're my yesterday, my today Canto: Proprio mai Really never.
Parlato: Il mio sempre, inquietitudine My always, [my] disquiet Canto: Adesso ormai ci puoi provare, chiamami tormento dai, già che ci sei Now you can try [it on], go ahead, call me "torment" while you're at it.
Parlato: Tu sei come il vento che porta i violini e le rose You're like the wind that brings violins and roses Canto: Caramelle non ne voglio più I don't want any more sweets. Parlato: Certe volte non ti capisco Sometimes I don't understand you.
Canto: Le rose e i violini The roses and the violins questa sera raccontali a un'altra this evening go tell them to some other woman violini e rose li posso sentire I can hear/smell violins and roses quando la cosa mi va, se mi va When I want to - if I want to quando è il momento When it's the [right] moment e dopo si vedrà And then we'll see
Parlato: Una parola ancora [Just] another word Canto: Parole, parole, parole Words, words, words
Parlato: Ascoltami Listen to me Canto: parole parole, parole
Parlato: Ti prego I beg you Canto: Parole, parole, parole
Parlato: Io ti giuro I swear to you Canto: Parole, parole, parole parole, soltanto parole parole tra noi. Words, words, words, words - only words, words between us Parlato: Ecco il mio destino, parlarti come la prima volta This is my destiny, [to] talk to you like the first time.
Canto: Che cosa sei, che cosa sei, che cosa sei What are you... Parlato: No, non dire nulla. C'è la notte che parla No, don't say a word. [Let] the night speak
Canto: Cosa sei Parlato: La romantica notte The romantic night
Canto: Non cambi mai, non cambi mai, non cambi mai You never change Parlato: Tu sei il mio sogno proibito You're my forbidden dream
Canto: Proprio mai Really never. Parlato: E' vero, speranza It's true, [my] hope
Canto: Nessuno più ti può fermare No one can stop you now chiamami passione dai, hai visto mai Call me passion, go on - have you ever seen Parlato: Si spegne nei tuoi occhi la luna e si accendono i grilli The moon extinguishes itself in your eyes and the crickets light up
Canto: Caramelle non ne voglio più I don't want any more sweets Parlato: Se tu non ci fossi bisognerebbe inventarti If you didn't exist, someone would have to invent you
Canto: La luna e i grilli The moon and the crickets Normalmente mi tengono sveglia Usually keep me awake mentre io voglio dormire e sognare While I want to sleep and dream l'uomo che c'è in te, quando c'è The man who is within you - when he's there che parla meno Who talks less ma che può piacere a me But can please me
Parlato: Una parola ancora [Just] another word Canto: Parole, parole, parole Words, words, words
Parlato: Ascoltami Listen to me Canto: Parole, parole, parole
Parlato: Ti prego I beg you Canto: Parole, parole, parole
Parlato: Io ti giuro I swear to you Canto: Parole, parole, parole, parole
parole soltanto parole, parole tra noi
Parlato: Che cosa sei What are you? Canto: Parole, parole, parole
It just doesn't really get any better than this, especially the lyrics to the song (in English it's hard to translate but it's like Death to Love") and her whole performance is to-die-for, particularly the hair tossing and gestures at the end. All she is missing is a cigarette. Also, she's looking just a little bit butch here, which works for her.
Lyrics to "Muera el Amor"
Rocio Jurado Muera el Amor Letras: Muera el amor Que dice que engaña,que besa,que araña Que muera el amor Que queda,que pasa,que pisa,que pesa Que muera el amor Que miente,promete,se apiada y se rie de mi
Muera el amor Que abraza, que abrasa, que roba, que arrasa Que muera el amor Que quema,que hiela, que corre,que vuela Que muera el amor Que droga, que agarra,desgarra y que te hace feliz
Veneno veneno Que estalla por mis venas como un trueno Espuma blanca flor de piel Que hierve cuando estoy con el Amor sin preguntas,sin peros,amor sin cuartel
Tu Que me besas,que me pesas,que me abrazas Que me abrasas,que prometes,que me mientes Y te quiero,y yo te quiero
Muera el amor Que rompe,que rasga,que oprime,que aplasta Que muera el amor Que gusta,que asusta,que gasta y desgasta Que muera el amor Que mancha, que borra,que duele y que te hace feliz
Veneno veneno Que estalla por mis venas como un trueno Espuma blanca flor de piel Que hierve cuando estoy con el Amor sin preguntas,sin peros,amor sin cuartel
Tu Que me besas,que me pesas,que me abrazas Que me abrasas,que prometes,que me mientes Y yo te quiero Tu Que me rompes,que me rasgas,que me dueles Que me das mas,que me mancha Y encima voy y te quiero Y yo te quiero
Muera el amor Muera el amor Muera el amor
_________
Thanks to one of my top readers, Narciso, who has alerted me to this jewel from Venezuela:
With interests including the sinister doings of the artworld, pageantry, 20th and 21st century dictators, reality TV, racial and gender politics, camp, schlock, deposed and reigning European aristocrats, and fashion, Petite Maoiste writes this blog as a means of grappling with academentia.
for more see: why is this blog called petite maoiste????
I'm on twitter @petitemaoiste
and on twipic http://twitpic.com/photos/petitemaoiste
I love Shepard Fairey's iconic Obama image, but as I discussed in an earlier post, I wonder if he hasn't been looking at propaganda designed to promote sinister charismatic leaders, such as Mussolini, or Mao. 
Above is a fascinating photomontage where the masses are the black shirt uniform clad torso and the ben-day dots indicating the mechanically reproduced nature of the image echo the visual metaphor of a multiplicity unified in one body. 
And of course, the masters of propaganda, the Maoists, had a way of fusing Mao with emblematic architecture, Tianamen Square, and the masses, just like Shepard Fairey places Obama within our national shrines of political power. 
