Self Negotiated

abcofarchitects: Albert Speer’s plans for “Germania”. More on...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:13:11 -0400

Albert Speer’s plans for “Germania”.

More on this later (this is incredibly interesting and I want to write in great length about it so stay connected)

Photo

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:12:59 -0400

a-tychiphobia: Nazi Party rally at Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg,...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:08:01 -0400

a-tychiphobia:

Nazi Party rally at Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg, Germany - Sep 8, 1936

backtothedrawingboard: Researching Albert Speer and the...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:07:49 -0400

backtothedrawingboard:

Researching Albert Speer and the extensive planning of the architectural redevelopment of the third reich

sharknoir: just thought this was sort of interesting.

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:07:36 -0400

sharknoir:

just thought this was sort of interesting.

theraconteurasaurus: image from the exhibition, The Greatest...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:07:19 -0400

theraconteurasaurus:

image from the exhibition, The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011

On display at the Museum of the City of New York, through 15 April.

From Icon’s write up:

The argument the show at the Museum of the City of New York is trying to make, Renner says, is that what we think of as New York “came up precisely because of the grid”; that a city that doesn’t require you to learn street names is a metaphor for openness.

Photo

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:06:57 -0400

Photo

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:06:42 -0400

Scots On The Rocks Or How To Ignore Economic Reality

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:06:24 -0400

stirringtroubleinternationally:

Global Information Scots On The Rocks Or How To Ignore Economic Reality http://ow.ly/1iP6Hh

http://www.stirringtroubleinternationally.com/2012/04/17/scots-on-the-rocks-or-how-to-ignore-economic-reality/

Alex Salmond, England, independence, Scotland

redeemlimited: Click on the image for the full story as...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:06:09 -0400

redeemlimited:

Click on the image for the full story as reported in the Express.

oorjim: Magic!

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:48 -0400

oorjim:

Magic!

sonofthegun: I was born and raised in the highlands and I’m...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:37 -0400

sonofthegun:

I was born and raised in the highlands and I’m studying Scottish History at Edinburgh University. I love Scotland, so I’m voting NO.

gcyphotography: Monuments

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:01 -0400

gcyphotography:

Monuments

Photo

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:04:43 -0400

maccaz91: The Economist’s map of ‘Skintland’ hasn’t gone down...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:43:05 -0400

maccaz91:

The Economist’s map of ‘Skintland’ hasn’t gone down too well with Alex Salmond, unsurprisingly.

The Scottish National party leader said the front cover displays a sort of “Bullingdon Club humour” of “sneering condescensions”.

“It just insults every single community in Scotland,” he told Radio Clyde. “This is how they really regard Scotland. This is unionism boiled down to its essence and stuck on a front page for every community in Scotland to see their sneering condescensions.

“They shall rue the day they thought they’d have a joke at Scotland’s expense.”

He added: “This doesn’t represent England. Goodness’ sake, I wouldn’t insult the people of England the way the Economist believes it should insult the communities of Scotland.

“This is a particular strata of London society. It’s not a very attractive strata. They’re not even funny, let’s face it. If it was a decent joke we’d have a laugh at it. This is just plain insults.”

The magazine itself holds other views of Scotland’s possible independence.

“If Scots really want independence for political and cultural reasons, they should go for it. But if they vote for independence they should do so in the knowledge that their country could end up as one of Europe’s vulnerable, marginal economies.

“In the 18th century, Edinburgh’s fine architecture and its Enlightenment role earned it the nickname ‘Athens of the north’. It would be a shame if that name became apt again for less positive reasons.”

(From the Guardian)

50 Political Artworks

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:04:00 -0400

50 Political Artworks

Luang Anh Dung

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:02:47 -0400

Luang Anh Dung

Propaganda Artist LUANG ANH DUNG

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:00:28 -0400

produces hundreds of designs to broadcast the Communist Party’s messages.

“it still has power to mentally affect people, help them understand government policies.”

“In war, they are an encouragement to the nation. In peace, the aim to ‘maintain the revolutionary spirit”

Many posters depict the country’s rapid urbanisation and economic prosperity.

“Now is a time of industrialisation and economic growth, and I incorporate that into the art that I do.”

“make sure people fully understand the message you’re trying to give.” “then you have to use your artistic talent to express that in the best way, we’re using art to support the politics.”

What is Political Art?

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:53:30 -0400

“It is very difficult to define political art. Views on what makes art political can range from the idea that all art is political (i.e. it either implicitly supports or explicitly opposes the status quo) to pointing out, for example, the obviously political murals on walls around Belfast. As a way of narrowing the former and broadening the latter I suggest here a view of political art that uses three categories: Portrayal, Promotion or Projection.” Caoimhghin Ó Croidheáin

PORTRAYAL: covers art that says ‘this is what happens if, is happening now or happened in the past’. This kind of art describes events or situations that people find themselves in as a result of social or political structures. Any political perspective is implicit in the art but is also free-floating. For example, a painting of a white man whipping black slaves describes a particular situation where the black man may say, ‘Yes! That is how we are treated!’ yet the slave-owner may say, ‘Yes! That is the way to treat them!’ Thus both sides can see the confirmation of their point of view in the work of art. For the slaves, the ultimate effect of such art may be positive or negative. In a positive sense it may create group awareness and solidarity, or, in a negative sense, it could also consolidate inertia, a feeling that nothing can be done to change the situation. The art styles or movements of Realism, Social Realism and Naturalism could fit into the category of ‘Portrayal’.

PROMOTION: In the second category of ‘Promotion’ ways and means towards the resolution of the problem are presented. That is, a particular aspect of an event is highlighted over other aspects. This aspect would concentrate on the people or groups who are actively struggling to change the situation in which they find themselves. Thus one view of an event, that which would encourage others or strengthen an activism already present, is promoted over images of the event that may have the opposite effect. In this case, the politics of representation takes precedence over the representation of politics. Unlike ‘Portrayal’, this type of art is harder to manipulate from an opposing point of view. The politics is generally explicit and can have a positive inspirational effect. The art styles or movements of Socialist Realism and ‘Political Art’ (e.g. murals, banners, posters etc.) and Social Realism to a certain extent could fit into the category of ‘Promotion’.

PROJECTION: In the third and last category ‘Projection’ refers to art that takes disparate elements and then recombines them to form a new image. It is an art which says ‘This is what could happen or could be if …’. Art styles or movements such as Surrealism, collage, utopian or visionary images would fit into this category. Such speculative art can have a positive effect of providing inspiration by suggesting ideas that are outside one’s usual ways of thinking, and can be implicitly or explicitly political. For example, a picture showing the Rock of Cashel (ancient fortress in Co. Tipperary, Ireland) with a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train speeding by may be a jarring conjunction of images but suggests the possibility of a super fast transport system in Ireland. Therefore it has social and economic implications for the Irish State which in turn makes it implicitly political. However, like in the first category Portrayal, opposing political viewpoints can claim this image for their vision of the future. The same scene would be explicitly political though, if, for example, ‘Workers of the world unite’ was written on the side of the Shinkansen. Thus it can be seen from the above categories that the representation of particular actions or the inclusion of particular types of text ties an image down to an explicitly political perspective. The past, present and future, with some overlapping, are also covered in this way of seeing or defining political art.