Poster analysis.

 

Use spades not ships by Abram Games (1914-1996). The poster, designed in 1945, to promote home grown food rather than imported food, brought to England by ships. The shape of the spade has a dual use. The right-hand side is a ship with waves following the line of the horizon. The left-hand side is a spade with the land in contrast to the sea and plough farrows running vertical in the poster. The shaft of the spade is wooden and on the ship side the funnel of the ship is in shadow, giving a hint that smoke is coming out of it. In the centre of the ship/spade is written use spades not ships. Spades written on the spade side and Ships on the ship side to reinforce the image of ship and spade. Written at the base of the poster is written “Grow your own food” and in smaller text “and supply your own cookhouse”. “Your Own” is highlighted in yellow to emphasise the words and smaller underneath to reinforce the massage of the poster.

This poster was created by Tadeusz Trepkowski (1914-1954) in 1952 two years before his death at the age of 40. During the 1950's the threat of international conflict inspired many to promote peace. The poster evokes memoires of the destruction brought on poland, Tadeusz, native country during the second world war. The bombing was so great in Warsaw that only one in four buildings remained standing. The background of the poster is blue, giving you a feeling of sky. The Bomb has been place in the top of the picture. This gives the impression that it is falling into the bottom of the picture, and at the same time the sense of movement compels you to move your eye to read the text. The Bomb has a dual role in the poster not only is it a Bomb, it also acts like a window showing us the destruction it is about to cause. The buildings and the sky inside the Bomb are predominantly red, reinforcing the sense of death and destruction. As your eye follow the trajectory of the bomb, we see the word NIE!, and it's a word that seems to shout out from the poster: NO!

Sources:- The Museum of Modern Art New york.

Wikipedia.