Rewriting the Climate Revolution: A Contemporary Take on May 1968
This project offers a critique on the current state of climate (in)action using the aesthetics and radical messaging of the May 1968 Paris student protests. It is comprised of a series of posters that re-contextualize those produced by students of École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. These prints changed the face of revolutionary art and messaging and I wish to propel this evolution with a contemporary take.
The Process:
May 1968 Paris student protest poster prints.
I began by observing the visual aesthetics and design elements that make the posters so interesting. That which give them that certain “je ne said quois.” The bold primary colours, masterful use of negative space, and the striking, in your face typography give the viewer a simple visual to digest. This simplicity is actually a skillful application of principles the of harmony and balance, which is no shock as the creators of these prints were art students. I therefore strove to apply the same principles in my posters, utilizing the same colour palette and attempting similar printing.
