question archive provide a substantive response to your classmates
provide a substantive response to your classmates
Subject:PsychologyPrice: Bought3
provide a substantive response to your classmates. Explain how their post has helped you better understand the relationship between art and power and draw connections from their post to your thinking.
PEERS RESPONSE:
Art and power have always been associated with each other as art has been used by those in power to convey messages, influence others, and persuade people to take action (Sachant, 2016). Given that art is able to convey ideas and emotions in a visual medium, art has often been used to present messages relating to war (i.e. documenting war, supporting or opposing war, and reflecting on war in general).
The work I chose, Buy War Bonds, which was produces as a color offset lithograph, depicts Uncle Sam holding a U.S. flag and pointing his finger, appearing in a cloud of smoke above fighting troops, with airplanes flying overhead (loc.gov, n.d.). This poster is one of several created during the World War II era to encourage patriotism and support of the war effort through the purchase of war bonds. It features a stirring image of Uncle Sam standing in the clouds holding a billowing U.S. Flag. War bonds were used to control inflation and finance military operations in times of war. Even though people in America were dealing with many hardships, including rationing, they were asked to step up and purchase these bonds. By buying a war bond during World War II, you were loaning the government money and supporting the war effort. It should be noted that America was not the only country to issue war bonds during WWI as well as WWII for that matter.
This poster was clearly trying to drive support for the war effort by depicting an image meant to spur feelings of sacrifice and patriotism. The image of Uncle Sam, pointing ahead as if not only leading the troops into battle but also pointing to the viewers, calling them to action. The war imagery, the bold colors of the American flag create a powerful sense of duty and patriotism. The troops and airplanes also help to convey an image of power as they are depicted as charging forward, on the offensive, which also conveys power and confidence in the military and America. This image, and others like it, were no doubt successful propaganda tools that encouraged countless Americas to join in a collective effort.
