Lecture on the Design of Dissent

Posted by Suzanne Hill Feb 22, 2009

On Friday, February 20, I attended an Art Lecture at Towson University that coincided with their exhibit of contemporary Iranian posters.

I was especially interested in this lecture because the speaker – Mirko Ilic - co-authored a book named “Design of Dissent.” These kinds of issues are of great interest to me.

Mirko Ilic spoke about his expertise in the graphic design world and showed us many contemporary non-American examples [like ads and posters]. He was born in Bosnia and moved to New York to establish a graphic design company. One of the first things he mentioned Friday night is that a “global” designer learns that if he doesn’t use English in his art, he is not an artist. Ilic had a charming accent and an intriguing sense of humor.

He discussed how those from a communist or oppressive regime must keep from stating exactly what they wish in their designs, so many effective posters of “dissent” use visual puns where intention isn’t immediately obvious or could be explained away as a “misunderstanding.”

The speaker said something powerful: On the topic of “dissent,” posters are extremely effective when they are shocking, clever, and immediately recognizable. They are like a flare because their message distinctly shows the viewer that someone else is thinking as I am. He emphasized that the Internet may not be as powerful an avenue of dissent because it doesn’t catch people passing by. I had been hoping for just such a nugget of wisdom.