Mary L Kish, 7/2/2008 · 0 comments
left: The Dream, campaign poster for presidential candidate, Barack Obama, from www.creativerescue.org
right: Yes We Can by artist Antar Dayal from www.store.barackobama.com
Steve Seidman, associate professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communication, was featured on National Public Radio's Bryant Park Project on June 30th in an interview about presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign posters.
The premise of the discussion was that Obama's image seems to be popping up everywhere--even on t-shirts--and artists who support him often depict Obama as a transcendent figure. According to Seidman, the trend in US political campaigns since 1988 generally has been away from featuring a candidate's image on posters, noting that the visuals on bumper stickers and lawn signs have been limited to logos and slogans.
Two specific posters were discussed: The Dream, and Yes We Can. Seidman called the iconography of The Dream's visual elements "risky," whereas the Yes We Can poster and t-shirt are "effective." He added that, "He's gazing into the distance, almost like a visionary."
Seidman was asked what imagery Obama's opponent, John McCain, should consider putting on a t-shirt. He suggested that McCain might emphasize his military background in the same way that a 1960 Kennedy campaign t-shirt featured the picture of a PT boat on it, reminding voters of JKF's military heroism.
Seidman's research on political communication is the subject of his forthcoming book, Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns around the World and through History, which will be published in September. Beyond his duties as department chair, he also regularly teaches courses in the communication management and design program, including one on presentation media and visual design.
The eight minute interview can be heard on NPR's website, with an accompanying article entitled, "Election 2008: Posters Show Obama as Superhero, Sun God, Saint."
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