Customer Reviews

The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Milton Glaser, Mirko Iilic & Tjony Kusner have put together a visually powerful book. The posters were drawn from individuals and groups around the world and encompass artwork from the 1960's to the present. They express a broad spectrum of concerns from many viewpoints.

Mr. Glaser has stated in an interview "the general perception I have is that design can function in culture and has a social role that cannot be only about selling goods". This is certainly true of the design art found in this book. The brief accompanying text to each poster adds to the reader's appreciation and is often invaluable to understanding the meaning of some posters that use language or symbols the reader may not be familiar with.

This is not a "coffee-table" book. The impact of the images and messages are direct, dramatic, sometimes humorous, and often very intense. You don't have to be a graphic designer to appreciate this book. If you believe as Mr. Glaser does that "dissent protects democracy", this book is worth a long look.

This book is packed with powerful images that are beautiful, but sometimes difficult to look at. That being said, you can't help getting lost in them. The images come from an endless number of countries and address a wide variety of issues with text that briefly explains the issue and the work itself. It's so captivating because you can quickly get the information you need and then concentrate on the work. The design is equally amazing and even includes a flip book half-way through. If you buy one book this year - buy this one because you'll learn a lot about what's going on in this world - especially things you don't hear on the news.

I bought this book for my son last year, and ended up reading it and going through it myself as I start to think more about collective intellligence, five minds, group IQ and such. Dissent and diversity are so important to all of us, that I am moved to suggest this book--which Amazon is offering at a price way below its actual value--as the perfect Christmas present for any college student or any adult.

Start at the end of the book, with the interview of Milton Glaser by Steven Hellor, "Dissenting Conditions," and the directory of contributors.

I think this book is a classic work, and I hope the publisher will issue an updated or follow on version at least every five years.

This is a GEM of a book.

See also:
Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography
Five Minds for the Future
Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All

In the present world full of hatred, cruelty, racial discrimination, communal riots, war, human degradation and erosion of values, what a graphic designer can do with his/her talent and compassion that is what the authors trying to show us loud and clear. In the context of the present situation, I strongly feel that this is a book which every graphic designer should buy and inspire.

I received this book from a friend for Christmas, and I really enjoyed studying the art inside. I was surprised at the balance the book struck between the different sides of controversial issues and the art that accompanies them, since I generally expect art about "dissent" to only be favored if it is from the popular end of an issue.

The book is great, but I would prefer it to have some more modern things inside it. That's the only reason I gave it four instead of five stars. ^_^

This is a book I would recommend not only for the graphic designers like me, but also for everybody who worries about social themes, like racism, war, and so forth. It is a very visually powerfull book, really inspired, and sometimes revolutionary and even shocking.

Makes you think, because is based on action. And action based on reality. So is not only about communication a generic idea, but to represent a reality, an issue that a designer was dealing with, probably it was his/her reality.

I saw one review saying that the book is leftist. I wouldn't place it on left or right, though. I think this would be flattening the great array of questions this book poses. It's activist, indeed, and being activist is being on the "left side" for some people. If you are one of those people, maybe this is not the book for you.

But...

... read it and take your own conclusions, that's my best advice.

This is a great book that will show you how far you can take visual communication.

I bought this as a gift for my brother. It is one of his favorite art books (he has several bookcases of art books). I have briefly skimmed through the book on a few occasions. The quality of the book and printing is very good. The content is vivid and well organized. Of the many political art books I have seen, this is one of the best.

We've all heard the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words"--to which I would respond, "it depends on the picture." Graphic design can be simply a picture, but in general it is a combination of image and text that communicates a message or point of view, hopefully in a compelling way. Assembled by design icon Milton Glaser (of I <heart> NY fame), this book is survey of the use of design to express dissent in various arenas and mediums.

In the interview with Glaser in this book, "dissent" is defined as being both a response and challenge to existing power and can be either destructive or constructive. Destructive dissent often takes the form of violence, which, while sometimes an effective methodology for achieving change, also grants carte blanche for overwhelming use of force or oppression in response. Glaser views dissent via design as a more constructive approach that may be less directly effective, but is nonetheless subversively provocative in a useful way. In his words, design can be a "form of activism" in that "we all have the responsibility to be good citizens"--which means becoming involved (ie. passivity endangers democracy). Fortunately, design is a field that is open to all-- while "you have to know something about the nature of communication, either by instinct or training," all it can take to make an impact is a good idea and moderately capable execution of that idea. Finally, in Tony Kushner's foreword, the proposition is made that successful dissent design embodies three elements: it should be shocking, funny, easily grasped, and perhaps, forbidden or dangerous.

In keeping with the book's theme, the contents are arranged somewhat counterintuitively. The table of contents appears at the rear, along with the introductory interview and foreword, which theoretically set the tone for what follows (or rather, precedes...). The bulk of the book is comprised of hundreds of examples of designers' work grouped into the following themes: Communism, Palestine and Israel, Ex-Yugoslavia, Iraq War, Peace, Equality, Animal Rights, Corporate World, Media, Gun Control, Government, and the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. Almost all of these examples are from the last twenty years, with the occasional foray into the 1960s or 70s. These are often very striking and compelling individual pieces accompanied with credits and succinct contextual notes, but as with many such portfolio or survey books, one gets the distinct sense that some designers and topics have been favored or over-emphasized based on Glaser's personal preferences.

More problematic is the emphasis on relatively recent works--a more apt title might have been "The Design of Modern Dissent." However, the most distressing aspect of the book is it's near universal emphasis on the leftist or liberal end of the spectrum. One could make a valid argument that since dissent is by its very nature in opposition to the powers that be, that of course the bulk of the examples are going to be anti-corporate, anti-military, anti-war, and anti-establishment. However, it would have been a much stronger presentation had there been examples from the entire political spectrum. For example, there's no doubt that the right-wing in America has some powerful visual imagery at its disposal (especially in regard to abortion), or even that some hate groups like the KKK and neo-Nazis have some very striking design components in their arsenal of dissent against the mainstream. However, its clear that Glaser has no interest in providing examples from beyond his own limited range of the political spectrum and thus he does a disservice to the topic.

Eye-opening and thought provoking political poster art from around the world and from various times. Fascinating.