“Strike for sanity 1970”
Dublin Core
Title
“Strike for sanity 1970”
Subject
Kent State
Description
This piece of art represents the death of Kent State student, because of his strike for peace and not war. The technique used was silkscreen, using orange paper and black ink. The art was made by a Columbia anonymous group called the Columbia Collective, who created political art. This object is considered art because it raises public awareness towards the subject of injustice and abusive power, which caused the loss of many young lives. The way this piece of art encourages to take action is by the construction of art memorials around Kent State University campus, to remember May 4th, 1970. A quote from the article “ Kent state/May 4 and Postwar Memory,” written by John Fitzgerald O’Hara, mentions how “Each spring during the week of May 4th, Kent State university hosts a series of retrospective and memorial ceremonies.” The quote relates to the art because it now is a memorial from what Columbia College student did to protest against abusive of power.
Upon first glance the viewer will see the outline of a human figure, black upon a red background. The figures head is tilted back with the word “STRIKE for Sanity” ‘pouring’ out of its mouth as if in a shout. The strike they are referring to is in direct response to the Kent State massacre. “The shootings fanned the flames of war dissent and called into question the integrity of government leadership” (American Quarterly). The red background of the poster can be viewed as the blood spilled by the National Guard at the Kent State Massacre but also in the American Government’s involvement overseas during the Vietnam War. Without overstating the posters purpose it is apparent that the protest is of the misuse of power and the failure of the government to represent the bodies of people who elected them. The use of different font promotes different feelings within the meaning of each word. The boldness of the word “STRIKE” promotes protest and resistance. In contrast the softer more cursive font of the words “For Sanity” encompass the calm after a resistance and the peace and change that protest can create. The words themselves can be interpreted as the artist saying the only sane thing to do is to fight back against the oppression and violence caused by what is supposed to be a democratic government.
Upon first glance the viewer will see the outline of a human figure, black upon a red background. The figures head is tilted back with the word “STRIKE for Sanity” ‘pouring’ out of its mouth as if in a shout. The strike they are referring to is in direct response to the Kent State massacre. “The shootings fanned the flames of war dissent and called into question the integrity of government leadership” (American Quarterly). The red background of the poster can be viewed as the blood spilled by the National Guard at the Kent State Massacre but also in the American Government’s involvement overseas during the Vietnam War. Without overstating the posters purpose it is apparent that the protest is of the misuse of power and the failure of the government to represent the bodies of people who elected them. The use of different font promotes different feelings within the meaning of each word. The boldness of the word “STRIKE” promotes protest and resistance. In contrast the softer more cursive font of the words “For Sanity” encompass the calm after a resistance and the peace and change that protest can create. The words themselves can be interpreted as the artist saying the only sane thing to do is to fight back against the oppression and violence caused by what is supposed to be a democratic government.
Upon first glance the viewer will see the outline of a human figure, black upon a red background. The figures head is tilted back with the word “STRIKE for Sanity” ‘pouring’ out of its mouth as if in a shout. The strike they are referring to is in direct response to the Kent State massacre. “The shootings fanned the flames of war dissent and called into question the integrity of government leadership” (American Quarterly). The red background of the poster can be viewed as the blood spilled by the National Guard at the Kent State Massacre but also in the American Government’s involvement overseas during the Vietnam War. Without overstating the posters purpose it is apparent that the protest is of the misuse of power and the failure of the government to represent the bodies of people who elected them. The use of different font promotes different feelings within the meaning of each word. The boldness of the word “STRIKE” promotes protest and resistance. In contrast the softer more cursive font of the words “For Sanity” encompass the calm after a resistance and the peace and change that protest can create. The words themselves can be interpreted as the artist saying the only sane thing to do is to fight back against the oppression and violence caused by what is supposed to be a democratic government.
Upon first glance the viewer will see the outline of a human figure, black upon a red background. The figures head is tilted back with the word “STRIKE for Sanity” ‘pouring’ out of its mouth as if in a shout. The strike they are referring to is in direct response to the Kent State massacre. “The shootings fanned the flames of war dissent and called into question the integrity of government leadership” (American Quarterly). The red background of the poster can be viewed as the blood spilled by the National Guard at the Kent State Massacre but also in the American Government’s involvement overseas during the Vietnam War. Without overstating the posters purpose it is apparent that the protest is of the misuse of power and the failure of the government to represent the bodies of people who elected them. The use of different font promotes different feelings within the meaning of each word. The boldness of the word “STRIKE” promotes protest and resistance. In contrast the softer more cursive font of the words “For Sanity” encompass the calm after a resistance and the peace and change that protest can create. The words themselves can be interpreted as the artist saying the only sane thing to do is to fight back against the oppression and violence caused by what is supposed to be a democratic government.
Creator
Columbia College Chicago Students
Source
Chicago Kent State Movement Collection, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago
Publisher
Kent State, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago
Date
[no text]
Contributor
[no text]
Rights
College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago.
“The oral histories are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No
Derivative Works 4.0 License. “All rights remain with the creators.
“The oral histories are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No
Derivative Works 4.0 License. “All rights remain with the creators.
Relation
[no text]
Format
[no text]
Language
[no text]
Type
[no text]
Identifier
[no text]
Coverage
[no text]
Files
Collection
Citation
Columbia College Chicago Students, ““Strike for sanity 1970”,” Protest Art, accessed May 14, 2024, https://protest.omeka.net/items/show/39.