Communist Posters

London: Reaktion Books, 2017. Hardcover. VG (Ex-Library from Visual Studies Workshop, with two stickers on and inside rear cover; interior is very clean; binding is solid.)/Good (Library stickers on front cover and spine; light edgewear/scuffing/smudging.). Red DJ with b&w illustration, with white and black lettering; black boards with white lettering on the spine; 407 pp.; richly illustrated, chiefly in color. One of the common features of communist regimes is the use of art for revolutionary means. Posters in particular have served as beacons of propaganda--vehicles of coercion, instruction, censure and debate--in every communist nation. They have promoted the authority of state and revolution, but have also been used as an effective means of protest. By their nature, posters are ephemeral, tied to time and place, but many have had far-reaching, long-lasting impact. They are imbued with both artistic integrity and personal conviction--Bolshevik posters, for example, are among the most vibrant, passionate graphics in art history. This is the first truly global survey of the history and variety of communist poster art. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, and examines a different region of the world: Russia, China, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba. This beautifully illustrated, comprehensive survey examines the broad range of political and visual cultures of communist posters, and will appeal to a wide audience interested in art, history and politics. -- WorldCat.