Propaganda Posters

Host: NG at MR's

NG, who's been reading a A Portrait of David Hockney by Peter Webb, read about that painter's very early series of "vegetarian paintings" like "Cruel Elephant," and proposed that (B)ANO[S] members create some propaganda of their own. After some discussion, it was decided that members would all do posters on topics of their own choosing.

NG uses a slogan and self-portraits to make an anti-nukes statment. The use of glasses provides a through-line, from the reflection of the bomb to the way the frames are left sitting on the skull, providing consistency to the series of images. The pun of the slogan (which provides another through-line, back to the newspaper in the first panel) juxtaposes with the solemnity of the sentiment.

DH took the classic marijuana-legalization theme and created a kinetic, bold poster with immediate impact. He uses clear iconography (a joint, breaking handcuffs) and a classic red-black color scheme to get the message across, and the text has the one-two punch of slogan-statement above and below the drawing.

MR's poster is a playful departure from classic protest themes and the typical clarity of propaganda art. He makes a cheeky statement about social aid. His imagery contains anachronism, as it recalls bygone Cold War paranoia even as the poster references the freshly-retired space shuttle, nevermind that neither the Cold War nor NASA have much of anything to do with Social Security or Medicaid. A sly subversion of the night's theme, in true B(A)NO[S] spirit.

  

MC used a very worthy environmental cause in order to work with a subject important to his life, livelihood, and aesthetic: the beach. His weeping seagull references a watershed moment in the history of anti-pollution campaigns (note the Native American headdress in his prep sketch below), and his cartoonish waves reference his own work in patterns and textiles. His drawings have a naive innocence that makes the destruction of the shores they depict especially saddening.

Preparatory Drawings:

Further reading: Angry Graphics by Karrie Jacobs and Steven Heller

The other B(A)NO[S] poster project.

Working With Leather

Host: MC

This was a wide open project, the only guideline being to make something with the leather and tools provided by our host. Creation of an art object, rather than something strictly decorative was encouraged, but--as often discussed--that border is a porous one.

Taking his inspiration from Hermes scarves,
DH used chalk to sketch a design and an X-Acto to etch it in,

creating a muscular rendering, almost a repeating pattern, of

rope interplaying with free-floating pillars

MC's menagerie covers Pop figuration, American Southwest

decorative emblems with silhouette and stitching,

a Guston-inspired ghost with jewel eyes,

and the bold simplicity of  a two-tone rectangle with clear dimensionality

Special guest MM's bird figure also evokes an American Southwest folk/outsider piece, and makes effective use of the creepy accoutrement of a trained hooded condor

MR's lumbering horse has multiple layers but remains

obstinately flat, with a playful leather string curling out from the face, and a defiant hole punched into the base layer

After an early struggle, NG created an homage to the

cigarette-holding hands and watches of B(A)NO[S] fave Philip Guston

 Prior to the above, NG made a beastly totem figure,

using orange paint and yellow chalk

See these photos as well as process documentation here.