War time propaganda gets a contemporary twist
A propaganda poster used during the First World War (permission for usage by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, more info on artwork here)
Walking through the automatic doors into the gallery space, you are immediately surrounded in darkness. There seems to be no end in sight. And then, it appears. In the parting of the crowd stands a blood red wall. Already striking the senses before setting foot in the exhibition space, there is one word sprawled across the wall in large, white letters. It spells out: ‘Propaganda’.
The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s latest installation is an impressive collection of original, historical propaganda posters provided by the Australian War Memorial. The selection of 45 posters from the First and Second World Wars was whittled down from the impressive 10,000 that the War Memorial has collected through international collaboration and private donations.
As co-curator Alex Torrens explains to the growing crowd, posters were an ideal way of conveying information.
‘They are quick to produce and are large scale. They are ephemeral and demand to be looked at.’
The effect of the posters is immediately apparent. The dim lighting of the gallery space allows the posters to truly shine while they demand a strong, emotional response from the viewer.
These posters were so effective that during WWI, a bureau for propaganda was secretly set up in the UK to maintain censorship and control information.
A surprising addition to the collection for younger viewers is the stark red Keep Calm and Carry On poster. Displayed on a bright, white wall that breaks up the exhibition, this poster is actually from WWII; it was made just in case Germany invaded the UK. Unfortunately, most of the original posters were destroyed, as they were not required.
One of the most well-known propaganda posters (permission for usage by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, more info on artwork here)
It becomes apparent when walking through the exhibition that each poster has an element of cohesiveness. Even the contemporary works, the only posters left purposely unframed, add another unique design element to the exhibition. And yet individually, these posters provoke the viewer.
A poster from WWI sees a father sitting in an armchair with his daughter on his lap, reading a book while his son is sitting on the floor playing with toy soldiers. The father looks out to the viewer, thinking. The caption underneath reads “Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?”. The resulting image is a deeply provocative call to arms, and it’s no wonder that this poster is one of the most well remembered from the War.
‘It has an insidious appeal to consciousness,’ says Torrens. ‘The posters in the exhibition have a moral appeal.’
Similarly, a poster that simply reads Eat Less Bread is able to convey so much information and emotion. Perhaps, these posters work so well together because they create a sense of wonder for a modern audience. The viewer can only imagine what it was like to ration food and share hot baths; these ideas seem unthinkable now.
‘These posters resonate with our generation and future generations but didn’t at the time.’
How would contemporary artists respond to these wartime posters today? Speaking to the crowded exhibition space, co-curator Danny Lacy of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery explains the reason behind the commission of the works from three contemporary artists of different generations.
‘It’s a great opportunity for new work to be created and for these artists to come up with responses to the posters.’
Contemporary artist Wendy Murray’s work responds to the propaganda posters by drawing directly from today’s world news. The large, long poster features three nation flags from Russia, China and America underneath a large industrial crane. A rocket is launching into the sky in the background. At the bottom, the sketched poster reads: “Trade War. Iron ore. Technology War. Settle the score. WORLD WAR. No More.” Murray explains that her work portrays her growing fear of nuclear war.
‘I have always had a fear of World War Three. There is a build up as if we are in the 80s again during the Reagan era.’
It took Murray three weeks to create her poster from 22 hand cut stencils. To truly understand the production process of making these propaganda posters, Murray separated her work, so she could focus on stencilling one day and painting the next.
Looking at these powerful posters, it’s easy to forget that they are in fact works of art.
‘They are truly mystifying,’ says Murray. ‘They are beautiful and delicate.’
Feminist artist Alison Adler took a different approach. Her large-scale poster of the skeleton of a woman with the caption “There are battles yet to win! Fight entrenched Misogyny”, looks as though it is in response to the historical posters appealing for women to contribute to the war effort. Alder uses her vast knowledge of feminism and gender inequality to highlight that while these issues are in the public domain, they are not yet finished.
‘These battles haven’t been won yet.’
Walking around the contrasting white and blood-stained walls, it's difficult not to see the raw emotions of terror, anger, hope and patriotism of this war propaganda. As is the case with classic or older artworks, the propaganda also captures a moment in time not known by younger audiences today. But through the eyes of a modern audience, this collection stirs new emotions and draws parallels to our current affairs. Perhaps even 100 years from now, these works will continue to develop new interpretations.
Behind this feature
This was a local lifestyle feature I wrote as part of my university course, when I completed my Bachelor of Arts studies at Monash University, Australia. As part of my Journalism major, I took a ‘Feature Writing’ module. One of the assignments for this class was to find an original news story within our local community and turn it into an 800-word long-format feature, including at least one interview.
I had heard of an upcoming exhibition at my local art gallery that was commending and bringing together propaganda works from the First and Second World Wars. I reached out to the gallery, who put me in touch with the co-curators of the exhibition and a couple of the contemporary artists, who I was able to interview for the feature.