UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

Graphic design as Political Propaganda (Design as Cultural Phenomenon)

Fadzlini Bte Samsudin Khan 2010407306

May 2011

Working as designers for few years giving the chance to share some ideas what is graphic design is all about. Every part of things in our life is part of graphic design. Every time the designers create the design, it will deliver certain message and beliefs. No matter how simple it is, there will be meaning behind it. There is no design without purpose even it is a blank white. Design is a medium and a way to express emotion and feelings. Thats the reason why children love to draw because they love to express what they feel through drawings. Design is known as everything and anything. When we talk about graphic design, the first thing comes in our mind are posters and advertisings. These are common used of graphic design. Since prehistoric times, graphic design had been implemented in many ways. During that time people is thirst for knowledge and information. They keep searching the best way of giving clear information, sharing ideas which can be delivered through visual form. From time to time the process of searching keeps running. Until 1922, the outstanding book designer, William Addison Dwiggins introduced the word of graphic design [1]. Graphic design has create million of job opportunities to people work as Graphic designers.Graphic designers is the importance people to send out graphical form of information to the target audiences. These graphic elements become of medium communication from generation to the next generation. Everything surround us in our life nowadays is part of contribution of graphic design revolution. Graphic design used widely in every aspect for many reasons. Its influenced human life in context of economy, politic and social aspects.

(1)Drucker, Johanna and McVarish, Emily, 'Graphic Design History: A critical Guide'. Pearson Education, 2009 (3) Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic

In political context, Graphic design been used as the medium to deliver message and express certain ideology which lead to motivate and persuade the target group to accept the understandings. Some of the messages are direct meaning but some of the graphic design used indirect way of sending messages. This direct meaning may cause of several factors and purposes and one of it become as propaganda factor. Propaganda always has been described as negative terms. Propaganda is also known as art of persuasion which persuades others that your 'side of the story' is correct. From designers perspective of views, its very important to understand the principles behind propaganda and the way its designed to create effective designs which may influenced the people. After all, most designs are created with the end goal of getting people to take specific actions. Even if the designs dont directly resemble propaganda, but implementing the techniques and principles behind successful propaganda pieces can greatly improve the effectiveness of the designs. Graphic design can be used to express specific and commercially motivated points of view which overlap with the more political forms of propaganda and persuasion. It is very important to know the relationships between graphic design and commercial persuasion to develop both reflective and practical understandings of the ways in which design operates to persuade. As history shows, they can be quite successful. Its persuasive techniques are regularly applied by politicians, advertisers, journalists, radio personalities, and others who are interested in influencing human behavior. [2] It evokes thoughts of wartime and misinformation campaigns by governments trying to deceive people or bolster support for what might otherwise be unpopular policies.

[2] Dr. Aaron Delwiche, Propaganda: Definitions, Discussions, and Models, 6 October 2003, http://homepage.mac.com/mickeyhuff/iblog/C153282456/E540705550/index.html

But propaganda and the techniques it uses are prominent throughout our modern lives. Every political poster, there will be a propaganda. Advertising in all forms almost always uses at least some of the usual techniques used by propagandists. Virtually anything created to persuade a person to do a certain thing or think a certain way has roots in propaganda. After all, when most people think about propaganda, they think of the enormous campaigns that were waged by Hitler and Stalin in the 1930s. Propaganda might take the form of persuading others that their military might is too great to be challenged. Since nothing comparable is being disseminated in our society today, many believe that propaganda is no longer an issue. One of the most famous histories is the usage of graphic design in posters was during the Nazi Movement in Germany between 1933 and 1945[3].This movement controlled the art to ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the Nazi Party and they represent the ethics they wanted to teach the German people. Highly eristic and aesthetic pieces romanticized everyday subjects and repeated outmoded stereotyped Nazi principles of the human body and its reasons in the Reich. As a result of this policy, Nazi Germany introduced a system of censorship. You could only read, see and hear what the Nazis wanted you to read, see and hear. In this way, if you believed what you were told, the Nazi leaders logically assumed that opposition to their rule would be very small and practiced only by those on the very extreme who would be easy to catch.

[3]The rise of the Nazi Party,2005, http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/timeline/nazirise.htm

Adolph Hitler and his image gave him opportunity to have a status as a god in Germany. This can be seen through a poster advertising the film S.A. Mann Brand(1933)[4].This poster was presenting Hitler as superior power over the normal people and Hitler as being had spiritual goodness would take the Germanic race to the perfect future. "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it." Goebbels [5] Nazis believed that if they controlled what people heard, thought and said then they would be able to attain total loyalty. The use of propaganda had already been proven successful in election campaigns and Hitler believed that it was just as important for him to look as the main power or big energy. This history shows the power of graphic design become the medium of political propaganda to Nazi Movement. Through this world history of Nazi Movement, we could see how ideology used the power of graphic design to deliver successfully. Graphic design becomes the magnet to attract the reader and at the same time become propaganda tool to make the political party become strong. This is the process of believe what you see. How the politic parties in Malaysia use the graphic design as part of political propaganda is different from the prehistory. Even though the main principle is to capture peoples heart of supporting the party, but its different with Hitlers ideology to believed that if they controlled what people heard, thought and said then they would be able to attain total loyalty.

[4]German propaganda Archive,2001, http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/posters2.html [5] Dr. Goebbels,December 28,1933, On National-Socialist Germany And Her Contribution Towards Peace, http://1933key.com/Propaganda-1933/Goebbels-Speech-December-1933

In Malaysia is more on how to gain trust from the citizen. Propaganda in Graphic design in Malaysia still not open and freedom been expressed like western countries. Malaysia always believes in the rule of law and state and tries to maintain sensitivity among different races and religions. Graphic design is become the weapon for certain political parties to attack their opposition parties. Instead of using direct information which is verbal communication, graphic design as part of visual form been known as one of the effective medium to influence certain target audiences to receive the information. There are so many things happened in our country as part of political propaganda. In 1943 shows the armed uprising the power by the Japanese which lead to the next three years in Malaya. Life in this period had a defining impact on the handling of graphic arts, where all forms of printed media were turned into Japanese propaganda. [6] The Symbolism phenomenon has taken role to influence and the most famous symbol such as the rising sun had been used to represent the imageries of influencing Japanese Culture. Graphic design been adapted as the tool of persuasion and promote Japanese Values.In other words, graphic design become the service of control and influence. To do that, the Japanese eliminated all forms of British icons and symbols from all graphic works which resulted in the confiscation of printed material and closing down of English schools.

[6] Wong, Heng, Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), 1999-08-31, http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_905_2004-1223.html

Japanese propaganda was carried out in the designing of new stamps, postcards, newspapers and books. The production of new stamps led to an underlying visual dialogue between the sender and the receiver. They almost acted like a calling card for the Japanese to command the worlds attention, presenting a victorious symbol of their defeat of the British. This all political propaganda becomes the tool of Japanese to send out their messages clearly to their enemies.

Beside the Japanese regime, during the formation Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) also show the importance roles of graphic design to influence people in Malaya. The Communist ideology began to penetrate into Malaya in the 1920s[7]. Through the Biro Timur Jauh,the international communist agent, especially from china and Russia managed to persuade most of the labor organizations, trade unions and socialist who were comprised users of Chinese. Communist publication such as newsletters such as Rosita and Delta News are agency Communist Books and pamphlets from China and Russia affect most Chinese during that time.[8] One of the most famous books during that time is Fung TSZ.The communist ideology is almost similar like how Hitler tries to design as the weapon to protect Nazi movement. Because lack of electronic media during that time, communist party using the printing material to send out the messages. Graphic art has always played a role in social movements. But will a movement today look the same as movements of the past?

[7] C. F. Yong (1991). Origins and Development of the Malayan Communist Movement, 19191930. Modern Asian Studies, 25, pp 625-648 [8] T.N Harper(1999)The end of Empire and the making of Malaya.64.pp 550-554

During these modern days also shows how the graphic design become the most important tool in political. Graphic design plays very superior roles to influence the people by using attraction values. Once the people believe, its the result of successful propaganda. In other way, Graphic design become part of entertainment read material. For example the graphic elements in comics which are purposely as entertainment product also become the choice of political party as medium of propaganda. One of the most well known cartoonists who involve with this political graphic design is Zunar. The involvement of Zunar as political cartoonist took place after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister in 1998.The tragedy makes he realized the importance of playing a role in educating the public about the political scenario in Malaysia. However the involvement of Zunar in Politic was not that easy.In June 2010, three of his political cartoon publications, 1Funny Malaysia, Perak Darul Kartun and Isu Dalam Kartun were banned by the Malaysian government.[9] According to Zunar, one of his comic with the title Cartoon-o-phobia reflects the fears of certain parties to cartoons. He thinks by registering the term Cartoon-o-phobia as a new word that carries the definition of individuals or parties who are afraid of cartoons and use political power to act against cartoonists. In September 2010, he was arrested for publishing books that considered detrimental to public order and may influence the people to revolt against government policies. What happen to Zunar gives a very big impact to political graphic designers in Malaysia.

[9] 'Catch one Zunar today, 10 more will rise'(25 September 2010),www.malaysiakini.com

To analyze back there will be pro and cons of what Zunar did. Maybe this will lead to a major change in employment opportunities as a political cartoonist but at the same time this will also gives very bad picture to the government. The government banned of this publishing in a way to teach the citizen to respect those who wins the election and let the power to take the control. However, the public will see this scenario as negative effect as if the government is trying to restricting freedom of speech which is supposedly been practiced in democracy country. Maybe this all the main factor why there are only few numbers of Malaysian artist and designers who are purely involved with political cartoons. No matter what, but in designers perspective view, this is a new phase to open up the way of thinking and express the emotions through design. To this scenario we can see the barrier of graphic industries in Malaysia is very limited in term of involvement in politics. In Malaysia we are restrict to laws and once we break the law we end up our life in prison. The designers work is more to full fill what clients which is in industrial basis need rather than to express what they actually feel.Zunar only tries to illustrate his beliefs in political through design but somehow he was not free to do that. Contra back to what Zunar did, the government returns back the ideology using the Utusan Malaysia as one of the medium.In Utusan Malaysia,Senyum Kambing session is also part of political propaganda sending indirect message to the readers. Senyum Kambing is a comic session in Utusan Malaysia daily paper which is pro government.In this session we will see more on comics related to politic scenarios in Malaysia.This session is more on playing a joke which is actually focused and targeted the opposition parties. .Senyum Kambing is also considered to affect the sensitivity of religious and misunderstanding of political beliefs. This is part of using the element of graphic design to influence reader to reject the opposition parties.

But sometimes everything is depending on the readers to analyze it. Maybe some of the readers think that Senyum Kambing is part of jokes session but some other parties think that this comic should not put in a way insulting the other persons. But all this is to express the freedom of speech and emotions. Beside the use of the comic as part of the medium propaganda, the symbol, the ideology itself also part of political propaganda. On 16 September 2010 our prime minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak introduces the concept of 1Malaysia. [10] The symbol of 1Malaysia shows the unity of all the races and the different religions to stay together as one big group. The government is committed to carrying out a transformation programmed as its main agenda based on approaches and philosophy of 1Malaysia, people first, performance now.[11] This is also can be considered as successful propaganda which already influence all the Malaysian from all different groups. The concept of one Malaysia is to gather all different political parties to one main principle. Now everywhere and almost everyone already can recognize the symbol of one Malaysia. This show how effective the symbol becomes as political propaganda. Comparing last time and nowadays, the value of the propaganda implemented in graphic design considered not as strong as previous activist. In an era when politics has taken a cultural turn, visual propaganda has lost its purpose. A political image today is more likely to chastise the viewer as a naughty consumer rather than make a broad political point. In which case, the question is the political poster still powerful? Or does the political poster still exist?

[10] 1Malaysia ideology,one Malaysia.com.my [11] Najib Sets the Pace for Transformation In Administration, by Sophia Ahmad, Bernama, December 11th, 2009

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Most of graphic design nowadays experimented with a new graphic language, completely different from the political propaganda of the past. Instead of using political as the main issue, nowadays most of the designs focused on culture approach. Is this because in certain country the freedom of expression been controlled or because we are actually lack of political designers? All of this counted on demand and necessities. Until today propaganda still remains a powerful technique to influence the social opinion in all the countries around the globe, the word itself is not that widely used, being substituted by some modern terms, such as public relation, marketing, promotion or advertising, Furthermore, modern days gave propaganda multiple new media to use and Internet is among them. Anyway, modern propaganda has become much more sophisticated than ever before. There is an extremely thin border between propaganda concepts and, for example, those of advertising. However in Malaysia one of the most medium of political propaganda is through websites, blogs and social networking. This all media been used to send out the messages direct and fast. In term of graphic element, colors also had played the main sensitivity especially for government sectors in Malaysia. They try not to use any color which is related or common with any opposition parties. For example green is known as PAS. (Parti Islam Semalaysia). In conclusion, no matter what and which era we are, we have to accept the faith that graphic design will become the demand and necessity as part of political propaganda.

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