Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Buyssens, Ryan

Area of Concentration

Art

Abstract

This thesis project considers the power of reciprocity which exists between popularly reproduced imagery found in posters and signage of 20th century Spanish Speaking Caribbean. When an image is replicated frequently it can transform into an icon, motif, or symbol. As these images appear in daily life, they become representative of larger ideas or beliefs associated with the common application of the image. Thematically, the thesis is dictated by historical research and the henceforth local and internationally relevant practices of poster making which dominate the region. They involve three key applications of this art form: as a political took, as economically-motivated commercial marketing, and as representation of local culture and creativity. I draw inspiration from the goals of Culture Jamming where art takes on the role of activism and often comments on or questions the mainstream culture. The choices made in my own artworks have been guided by the works of other Spanish speaking Caribbean artists such as Lucia Hierro, Miguel Luciano & Alfredo Rostgaard, as well as other printmakers and workshops from the Islands. Through a revision on the importance of representations in this media, I hope that you, the viewer, can challenge popular ideas and knowledge about the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, while also being inspired to learn more about the region's local history and culture.

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