Mai68 Posters
In Spring of 2022 the Ukrainian/Russian war was in full swing. I designed a series of commentary posters by appropriating the style created by designers at the Atelier Populaire for the Parisian riots of May 1968.
Content: Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Translation: Too bad Russia, we will fight
Content: Putin caricature
Translation: He is the enemy
Content: Tank hedgehogs being used in Ukraine
Translation: This is just the beginning
Content: Putins hand turning into a gun
Translation: Fascist beast
The riots in Paris of May 1968 were a turning point in French history; they couldn’t be understated more and yet the long-term effects are still being seen today. Not only were students protesting the Vietnam war, the feminist movement joined forces to protest De Gaulle and his government.
The Atelier Populaire circa 1968 in Paris, France
A student hurling rocks at the police in Paris, May 1968
The Workers Union joined the fight and started advocating for higher minimum wage. The news outlets got involved and fought for the right to speak freely to the French people and no longer be controlled by the government. Citizens from all walks of life were pulled together to fight against a common enemy and the posters created to advertise this played a huge role in its overall success.
“Beauty is in the streets”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
“Be young and shut up”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
“Fascist vermin, civic action”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
After understanding the meaning of these posters in the context of the young French population rioting against things we’re still fighting against today, I used this to inform my poster subjects. The war still going on between Russia and Ukraine is being condemned and protested all over the world just like the Vietnam war was.
“The chaos, it’s him”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
“The vote changes nothing, the fight continues”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
“The police post themselves at the School of Fine
Arts- the Fine Arts students poster the streets”
The Atelier Populaire, 1968
Russia, specifically President Vladimir Putin, is the instigator in this conflict, and Ukraine, the victim. It has been discovered during the war that Putin is acting independently from the desires of even the Russian people so in this poster series I focus on the one man we can hold accountable at this time.