Justice in Many Forms: Protest Poster 2 Entries

Justice. This concept represents that we all have a voice that we want to share. This week, we are highlighting four more protest poster entries that demonstrate the idea of taking a stance and standing for something you believe in. 

“La Strada” (above, left) was created by Woody Pirtle (U.S.A.) for the Fellini Project for Fellini’s 100th birthday. The poster represents equality by using Fellini’s movie, La Strada, for inspiration. The movie was directed in 1954 and tells the story of a journey filled with an ongoing emotional exchange between the two main characters: Zampano, a brutal strongman, and Gelsomina, a young woman exhibiting questionable intelligence. Pirtle’s inspiration came from the most notable elements of the movie: the tire, representing the road, and the lips and red nose (significant elements of the makeup of the key female actress). Pirtle’s poster and message were well received.

“The Great Wave” (above, right) was created by Andrew Sloan (U.K.) to highlight the amount of plastic waste found in the oceans, and make others aware of how detrimental it is to our environment. Sloan wanted to make an image of this particular form of pollution and environmental damage that might help keep the problem fresh in people’s minds. Sloan’s inspiration came from Hokusai’s print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, one of the world’s most famous and popular images. The Japanese prints of Hiroshige, Utamaro, and Hokusai were an inspiration for Sloan while at school and as he was developing an interest in art. Interestingly enough, Sloan wasn’t extremely pleased that he worked with one of Japan’s most iconic images to highlight pollution, and he would like to think that Hokusai’s passion and care for the sea is echoed in the sentiment of this piece of work.

“Strength and Sacrifice” (above, left) by John Gravdahl (U.S.A.) also focuses on the environment. This poster was created for 4th Block XI Trienniale to commemorate the anniversaries of the nuclear disasters that occurred in Ukraine and Japan. The poster is also meant to be a tribute to those affected by the events, specifically first responders and their families. It depicts a human hand grasping the danger with selfless energy for the community. 

“J.E.H, standing for Japanese Emperor Hirohito” (above, right) is a political poster made up of photographs by Norihisa Hosaka (Japan). The poster was created for A246 Gallery for the exhibition of Hosaka’s work. The poster’s oddly shaped landscapes created by HDR are made up of landscape photographs and offer a new perspective on Tokyo. The scene evokes the memory of “Showa 84”, which should not have been possible since the “Showa” era ended 63 years ago. The poster and the content of the exhibition provoked a lot of discussions. It was a success in raising the issue of looking back at the Showa era once again and inspiring others to think and speak about it.

Feel as though you have a message you want to share with the world? If you or someone you know has called for action and justice, be sure to enter our Protest Poster 2 competition, which closes on July 13, 2021.