ALLEGORICAL FEMALE FIGURES IN WORLD WAR I U.S. PROPAGANDA POSTERS

N.A.

Article Details

ALLEGORICAL FEMALE FIGURES IN WORLD WAR I U.S. PROPAGANDA POSTERS

Authors:

N.A.

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Grafik Tasarımı

Journal:

Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 2, pp.465-477

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305120

pISSN:

2146-9059

Keywords:

Abstract:

 In the World War I era, communication technologies were widely utilized for the furthering of the war effort, among these, propaganda posters were commonly used by governments as a propaganda tool to influence the thoughts and behaviors of many people, as they were cheap and easy to understand. As such, they became the most important tools in the call for the continuation and financing of the war; carriers and spreaders of patriotism, one of the main pillars of war. Allegorical figures and the semiotic method were frequently utilized in the propaganda posters of World War I. Thus, this study focuses on how propaganda posters can be interpreted in the field of visual communication, through the critical social semiotics approach. The historical scope of the study is World War I 1914-1918, with a singular focus on the United States propaganda posters that depict the allegorical female figure, such as Christy Girl, Lady Liberty, and Miss Columbia. The concepts of connotation and denotation, the two planes that Barthes divides visual communication analysis into, are used as a guide to read these US propaganda posters. This reading indicates that the visuals on the posters are symbolic and ideological representations connotation supported by cultural codes. It goes beyond the lexical meanings and what they represent objectively denotation, aiming to trigger and fan feelings of patriotism, courage, solidarity, and self-sacrifice in citizens from all parts of the US.

 In the World War I era, communication technologies were widely utilized for the furthering of the war effort, among these, propaganda posters were commonly used by governments as a propaganda tool to influence the thoughts and behaviors of many people, as they were cheap and easy to understand. As such, they became the most important tools in the call for the continuation and financing of the war; carriers and spreaders of patriotism, one of the main pillars of war. Allegorical figures and the semiotic method were frequently utilized in the propaganda posters of World War I. Thus, this study focuses on how propaganda posters can be interpreted in the field of visual communication, through the critical social semiotics approach. The historical scope of the study is World War I 1914-1918, with a singular focus on the United States propaganda posters that depict the allegorical female figure, such as Christy Girl, Lady Liberty, and Miss Columbia. The concepts of connotation and denotation, the two planes that Barthes divides visual communication analysis into, are used as a guide to read these US propaganda posters. This reading indicates that the visuals on the posters are symbolic and ideological representations connotation supported by cultural codes. It goes beyond the lexical meanings and what they represent objectively denotation, aiming to trigger and fan feelings of patriotism, courage, solidarity, and self-sacrifice in citizens from all parts of the US.

 In the World War I era, communication technologies were widely utilized for the furthering of the war effort, among these, propaganda posters were commonly used by governments as a propaganda tool to influence the thoughts and behaviors of many people, as they were cheap and easy to understand. As such, they became the most important tools in the call for the continuation and financing of the war; carriers and spreaders of patriotism, one of the main pillars of war. Allegorical figures and the semiotic method were frequently utilized in the propaganda posters of World War I. Thus, this study focuses on how propaganda posters can be interpreted in the field of visual communication, through the critical social semiotics approach. The historical scope of the study is World War I 1914-1918, with a singular focus on the United States propaganda posters that depict the allegorical female figure, such as Christy Girl, Lady Liberty, and Miss Columbia. The concepts of connotation and denotation, the two planes that Barthes divides visual communication analysis into, are used as a guide to read these US propaganda posters. This reading indicates that the visuals on the posters are symbolic and ideological representations connotation supported by cultural codes. It goes beyond the lexical meanings and what they represent objectively denotation, aiming to trigger and fan feelings of patriotism, courage, solidarity, and self-sacrifice in citizens from all parts of the US.

 İletişim teknolojilerinin yaygın bir şekilde kullanıldığı Birinci Dünya Savaşı yıllarında, hükümetler, çok sayıda insanın düşünce ve davranışlarını etkilemek amacıyla, kolay anlaşılabilir ve ucuz olması sebebiyle afişleri propaganda aracı olarak kullanmayı tercih etmişlerdir. Bu süreçte propaganda afişleri geniş kitleler tarafından kabul görmüş; savaşın sürdürülmesinin ve finanse edilmesinin en önemli çağrıcıları; savaşın temel dayanaklarından olan vatanseverlik duygusunun taşıyıcıları ve yayıcıları olmuşlardır. Birinci Dünya Savaşı propaganda afişlerinde, alegorik figürlerden ve göstergebilimsel yöntemden sıklıkla faydalanıldığı görülmektedir. Buradan yola çıkarak, bu çalışmada görsel iletişim alanında eleştirel toplumsal göstergebilim yaklaşımı kullanılarak, propaganda afişlerinin nasıl yorumlanabileceği araştırılmıştır. Tarihsel kapsamı Birinci Dünya Savaşı 1914-1918 olan bu metnin evreni savaş sürecinde kullanılan Amerika Birleşik Devletleri propaganda afişleri, örneklemi ise bu afişlerde yer alan Christy Girl, Lady Liberty ve Miss Columbia adlı alegorik kadın figürleridir. İncelenen Birinci Dünya Savaşı ABD propaganda afişlerinde, görsel iletişim analizini düz anlam denotation ve yan anlam connotation olmak üzere iki düzleme ayıran Barthesın yaklaşımı yol gösterici olmuştur. Böylece, afişlerdeki görsellerin sözcük anlamları ve objektif olarak temsil ettiklerinin düz anlam ötesine geçerek, ulusun her kesiminden vatandaşların vatanseverlik, cesaret, dayanışma, fedakârlık gibi duygularını harekete geçirecek, kültürel kodlarla desteklenmiş sembolik ve ideolojik temsiller olduğu yan anlam görülmüştür.

Article Details

ALLEGORICAL FEMALE FIGURES IN WORLD WAR I U.S. PROPAGANDA POSTERS

Authors:

N.A.

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Grafik Tasarımı

Journal:

Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 2, pp.465-477

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305120

pISSN:

2146-9059

World War I

Propaganda Posters

Allegory

Semiotics

Roland BarthesBirinci Dünya Savaşı

Propaganda Afişleri

Alegori

Göstergebilim

Roland Barthes

Issues

Article Details

Authors: N.A.

Publisher: Anadolu University

Main Topics: Grafik Tasarımı

Journal: Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 2, pp.465-477

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001305120

pISSN: 2146-9059

Issues

Authors:

N.A.

Publisher:

Anadolu University

Main Topics:

Grafik Tasarımı

Journal:

Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 2, pp.465-477

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305120

pISSN:

2146-9059