Socialist Realism

 During this art movement communication appeared to be the most important factor. Abstract illustrations were not common as they did not suit propaganda. The posters needed to be realistic to clearly communicate the purpose & meaning behind the poster. It was more commercial than thought of as a piece of art. They needed to relate to the public by featuring subjects that occurred in everyday life. Even though most of the pieces were political, by featuring subjects that society can relate to, it draws them in to whatever party that the poster used as a subject. Relating to the public is a classic strategy of any politician as they need to make the audience feel that they understand them & want to help.


This is a piece by Robert Rauschenberg who was a great influence to artists from that era & to the present day. He felt drowned in media, revolutions & milestones happening in his period of time. With too much to take in he decided to create a piece to allow a better understanding with layers of his own personal understandings also. This technique allows himself & the audience to absorb all the events taking place in their time. With the strong orange washes, black & white images, this makes for a strong impact. However this is toned down with a light blue wash of photos & understandings. This I believe to be Robert Rauschenberg's mind toning down the information so it is easier to absorb.

 This is a revolutionary point of time for the world & I believe Socialist Realism was there to make the world understand the significance of this time as well as making it more interesting.