We’ve almost made it to the end of the first month of 2021, but this year is only just starting. What issues will be addressed this year? Check out three new entries for our Protest Posters 2 competition that cover everything from climate change to immigration politics.
American designer and Graphis Master Mark Hess has been perfecting his art of design and illustration since childhood. He has had his work featured in several publications and journals worldwide and currently has sixteen paintings in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. It comes as no surprise that his work “Thin Ice” (above, left) encapsulates his talent in design. A self-commissioned piece, Hess’ poster features a cartoonish and personified planet Earth dressed in a button-down shirt and suit pants. Its arms cling to a life preserver as the ice beneath its feet cracks. In the distance, a factory emits a plume of smoky pollution into the atmosphere. Above reads: “We’re on thin ice.”
Hess’ poster is a call to action, indicating that pollution created by large corporations must be curbed in order to halt climate change in its tracks and save the arctic ice. The sweating earth in this poster illustrates that if we don’t act soon, all of us will drown.
Swiss designer Stephan Bundi, also a Graphis Master, studied at the Bern School of Design and at the State Academy of Art and Design. His work has been featured in several publications and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art NY. His poster “For An Open Switzerland” (above, right) was created for the Federal Migration Commission EKM, which is dedicated to promoting the social cohesion of immigrants and recommends well-researched migration laws to dictate Switzerland’s foreign policies. According to their website, the Federal Migration Commission is “mandated by law to address social, economic, cultural, political, demographic, and legal issues that arise from the residence of foreign nationals in Switzerland. The subject areas covered range from refugee protection and economic migration to social cohesion and transnational issues.”
Bundi’s poster indicates his stance on advocating for the opening of Switzerland’s borders to individuals seeking asylum. Bundi features five 3D boxes, each one folding down one more side than the last. This transition from an enclosed cube to a flat “+” sign cleverly mimics the flag of Switzerland and indicates the need for the country to support global migration.
