Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art [Paperback]

Lincoln Cushing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

The poster was the popular art form in Cuba following the Cuban Revolution, when the government sponsored some 10,000 public posters on a fascinating range of cultural, social, and political themes. Revolucin!, produced with unprecedented access to Cuban national archives, assembles nearly 150 of these powerful but little—seen works of popular art. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the posters rallied the Cuban people to the huge task of building a new society, promoting massive sugar harvests and national literacy campaigns; opposing the U.S. war in Vietnam; celebrating films, music, dance, and baseball with a unique graphic wit and exuberant colorful style. With an introduction illuminating the rich social and artistic history of the posters, and rare biographical information on the artists themselves, this striking volume offers a window into the story of Cuba—and a truly revolutionary chapter in graphic design.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With more than 150 colorful illustrations on heavy bond paper, this beautifully designed book is . . . highly recommended." -- Library Journal

About the Author

Lincoln Cushing was born in Cuba to American parents before emigrating to the U.S. As a graphic designer and archivist, he has worked with the Cuban national library, the University of California at Berkeley, and other collections to preserve and catalog these amazing posters. He lives in Berkeley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811835820
• ISBN-13: 978-0811835824
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silkscreen the Revolution!, July 1, 2003

By 

Modesto's Steinbeck "gnaak" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art (Paperback)

I'm a Reagan-loving conservative, but I've got an enormous fondness for communist propaganda art. I went to see Mr Cushing's talk at Black Oak Books in Berkeley on June 30, and his passion for the subject in person was infectious. Certainly, in his brief talk to give some historical context to the posters, many in his audience -- largely Berkeley radicals -- shuffled uncomfortably in their seats when he suggested that "things aren't perfect" in Cuba, but while Mr Cushings general support of the Revolution in Cuba was really quite secondary to his brilliant -- and inspired -- explanation of the history of these fantastic works of art.

The book itself is simply beautiful -- with scores of pictures representing each of the major poster styles produced in Cuba since the Revolution. There is sympathy for the Revolution, but no preachyness about the glory of equally available state-rationed asprin or the easy equality of justice in the tropical gulags.

But the book is only about the revolution to give these art works context. It is a book about the brilliant visual artists who provided the color and design splash to their Communist revolution. Each of the posters is a visual treat -- I especially like the Army Chess Tournament poster (a hand-grenade forming the body of a Knight) and a few of the abstract Vietnamese-solidarity posters.

Mr Cushing has done a fabulous job learning about the authors of the posters and he has made a brilliant first effort to understand and celebrate communist poster art in an increasingly non-communist world.

Once you get beyond the tedious and slavish devotion to French Belle Epoch posters among the poster art chattering class, there are too few great poster books as it is -- even of WW2 propaganda posters -- this clearly ranks among them. And to have it be about such a great and underrepresented area of poster knowledge is doubly terrific.

This is a first rate art book and a first rate history book. And if you like poster art at all, this ought to be on your shelf.

Viva Cushing!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful, Interesting, Excellent, December 4, 2003

By 

M. McGrorty (Altadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art (Paperback)

This is a very nice and entertaining work on a fascinating subject. Cushing has done his homework, preserving a bit of Cuban heritage that otherwise might have been lost to history. A fine book for any artist's collection, or just to flip through on a rainy day at home.

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally found it on Amazon, March 3, 2010

By 

Paula Hollowell (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art (Paperback)

I went to several book stores. No one had this wonderful Cuban poster art book. Found it on Amazon for a great price.