This is a really intriguing and striking style of propaganda. It uses a lot of blocky shapes and bright, contrasting colours mainly focusing around the colour red (the colour that is predominant in the Russian flag). This makes it very visually strong and eye catching and in my view very appealing.
Example #1:
This first example is really unique. It uses really sharp, geometric shapes and loads of bright, vibrant, contrasting colours. all of the text is also really blocky, impacting and perfected. This differs greatly from the handwritten and imperfect style of the British WWII typography. This is because the intended goal and message for the poster is different. British propaganda is more of a soft, moral boosting, reassuring tool which requires a hands on, personal feel to the designs. Russian propaganda posters are meant to convey a more powerful and strong message. This poster has a very striking and abstract theme to it unlike any other posters I've seen from other countries and era's. It is very unique.
Example #2:
This poster is very striking. Again it's use of strong geometric shapes and bright colours is very eye catching and striking. It has a very abstract art style that depicts soldiers bearing weapons marching forward with three very prominent, huge soldiers above them. there is also a factory in the bottom left and three aeroplanes along side the soldiers. Again this is very strong, powerful imagery that ties into the way that Russia was perceived by the rest of the world at the time. This is also helped out by the typography which is again big, blocky and thick. This poster has a very mechanical feel to it I think. Most of the propaganda from the Russian front did. This is again to possibly enforce the idea that Russia is a big, powerful machine. This would subconsciously (and successfully) effect the rest of the worlds view on Russia and Russian people.
Example #3:
This poster is again very abstract and vibrant. This is less abstract in terms of aesthetic choices however. The layout and construction of the poster is quite held back however, the imagery of a hand made of a plethora of other hands is quite an odd image. There are some faces in the wrist as well. The only thing odd about the the layout and construction is the fact that everything is on a slight angle and not quite level. this i think makes it grab your eye a little more effectively. The fact it is at an angle is odd and draws your eye. The fact that pretty much the entire page is a bright red also helps towards that. It really pops and makes you pay attention. The imagery in this one and symbolism are particularly strong I think in comparison to the others which i slightly more vague and general. The symbolism of the hand constructed of other hands is this posters main strength.
Example #4:
This is probably the most abstract and convoluted designs in the posters that I have selected. There are a load of abstract geometric shapes interacting on a white background. It is extremely out there and unique. There are no shapes to even reflect human or recognisable objects. It's just a collection of random shapes. This is quite impacting however, it is a little strange. I'm not sure it quite works fully. It doesn't really inspire or reflect strength or anything like that, it only looks intriguing. I think it is one of the weaker designs in the posters I chose.
Example #5:
This poster is very generic and very recognisable. It pretty much summarises all of the stereotypical themes of Russian propaganda all in one design. There is of course the red background with yellow highlights. There are three strong figures in the foreground, two of them holding up the two items which make up the two items in the Russian flag. It again has the strong, blocky typeface which inspires power and strength. It is the stereotypical Russian art style and this has a lot of design ideas within it that I could use in an idea of my own that would have a very recognisable and very unique style.
Summary:
I really like the really alternative and unique styles these posters demonstrate. It is so drastically different to the British WWII posters I reviewed earlier. They focussed on simplicity, subdued colours and simple themes. These posters are complex with off kilter angles and ideas. They pack a punch and instantly grab the attention of the viewer.
The really strong visual style and theme has made it one of the most popular and recognisable types of propaganda that has ever been produced. It really opens the flood gates to some of the more alternative and abstract ideas in my head and I can certainly experiment with these themes further.
It has such an iconic style that actually spans quite a broad array of colour groups and layouts that to them that creating a design that pays homage to this would be quite a rewarding challenge. It would work well with a really powerful message as that is one of the major strengths with these pieces of art. Whereas the British artwork was more about moral boosting and suppression of voice so that spies didn't catch wind of plans. The Russian propaganda is quite the opposite with uplifting, powerful messages packed with adrenalin and enthusiasm. It is one of the most successful styles of propaganda I have come across due to its sheer power and the simplicity of it's message. I will look further into this style and specific artists takes on it in the near future.
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