The Wake

Every so often, a disgruntled party is looking to voice a complaint. Their cries of injustice may be aimed at a tyrant of a boss, a ruthless leader, or a soulless government. Such protests can take many forms, some of which have considerable artistic merits.

The afflicted organization or person may turn to letter writing, distributing pamphlets, or protesting in the form of songs, chants, or signs. However, the creativity does not stop there, as folks will use innumerable materials for their expression of qualms. While songs vary considerably, it is the protest posters that have the widest range of possibilities. They are also the most practical and mobile forms of protest.

The most common materials for posters are a stick and a thick paper, likely tagboard, upon which a catchy phrase can be written in marker or paint. But this humdrum backdrop does not diminish the powerful aspect of this simple art. Such slogans as, “War does not increase penis size,” which graced a protest sign in an inauguration demonstration and “Welcome to Ireland! (Unless you are Nigerian),” which was propagated at an anti-deportation rally in Ireland are examples of powerful wit in dissimilar causes.

Sometimes, the basic black-and-white poster fails to attract the kind of attention a cause desires. In such an event protesters turn to a more flamboyant approach. A popular form of expression these days is creating a giant, 3D caricature of the protest’s enemy. Examples of this include puppets resembling President Bush at peace demonstrations and giant, cardboard nuclear weapons seen at South Korean protests. Ocassionally, a rally will go a step further than paper-mâché, like the use of oil drums in demonstrations against chemical dumping.

Some dissatisfied people will take an altogether different approach, using their bodies as a mode of expression. Costumes are donned, transforming a protester into a chicken decrying the evils of KFC’s animal treatment or a dolphin upset with high levels of mercury in the water. Far more impactful are costumes that take the role of real people, such as a military character in South Korea or President Bush, complete with a miniature missile, suit, and a semi-believable mask.

Under the direction of more vigilant and innovative organizers, protests with inherently different characteristics have emerged. Images of violence are used, like in the KFC protests. Renderings of the colonel in a blood-soaked version of his white suit had a powerful visual impact. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a protest may behave more like partygoers, in which case the art used is more playful. In Taiwan, large red balloons were passed throughout the crowd and even larger spheres edged the protestors making a plea for peace. This method is distant from the blatant hostility that often occurs at protests.

An important facet of protest is immediate recognition and understanding. A good way to do this is to employ a well-known symbol, like a street sign. If the displeased party wants to halt an action, a stop sign is a widely understood way to send that message. Though the octagon is exceptional for this purpose, a triangle edged in red mimicking an international yield sign is effective for causes that are warning of caution.

Whether you’re a liberal, a conservative, or a wishy-washy mix of the two, the desire to protest is only one event away. When injustice strikes, anger, energy and ambition culminate to create an art of passion. Protest art is not noteworthy in its specific shadows or brush strokes, nor does it always obtain merit for subtlety: Harsh feelings drive a person to create this art. It is obvious in intention and often created in minutes, and yet it may have more importance and impact than a masterpiece that took fifteen years to sculpt. So while quality is of import, the art that can be found at a protest is still valid.