Reading and understanding

The book I choose to look at was Graphic Agitation 2 by Liz McQuiston, Social and Political Graphics in the Digital Age. The extract I looked at was chapter 2, satire, subversion, subvertising.

Tone Of Voice

When reading it is clear that the author is very passionate about politics and graphic design. You can also see that she is angry about the power that the government has on advertising.

'More Powerful and potentially more manipulative even than the governments'

'They play with our desires, values and aspirations.'

Key Points and Quotes

• Traditional visual satire in the form of caricature and cartoons continues to ridicule world leaders politicians and their power plays.

'Latin American artists have harsh things to say about politicians and dictators both past and present.'

• Striking Out against the brands, Anti-fast food activism

'In the McLibel Trial McDonalds took UK activists David Morris and Helen Steel to court over the contents of one of their leaflets-'whats wrong with Mcdonald's?' The trial itself attracted heavy media focus, and substantial amounts of trail related and anti McDonalds material entered popular culture.'

• US politics: presidential elections and personalities

'Visual satire of the time therefore poked wicked fun  at the ambiguity of the two main political parties via 

their mascots.'

• UK politics: Satire and photo-opportunities

'Blair's Cheshire cat smile became a ghostly visual trademark'

• Anger and hardship from the South: the graphics of Fuera de Registro

'The politics of Latin America, and particularly its politicians, leaders and dictators, often conjures up images of tension and anger'

Fuera de Registro 'They photographed political campaign posters in Mexico City exactly as they found them-drawn on or manipulated by people in the street.'