Poster, Laissez-moi encore dix ans je reprendrai vos augmentations!,

1968

In 1968, students at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris set out to use the poster as a medium of resistance while at the same time reconceiving its formal properties. Charles de Gaulle was the main character featured, embodying as president of the Republic the rigid, conservative French society. He represented the authoritarian claim to power and hegemony of the state. Often reduced to a mere outline, his prominent nose and ears as well as his beloved general’s uniform with cap were enough to signify his presence. The line drawing of the frontal, caricature-like portrait is joined here to a black block that represents his upper body. De Gaulle’s face stands out all the more strikingly as a result. The text is clearly legible against the black ground. An ironic phrase is put in De Gaulle’s mouth, alluding to his ten-year term in office and his highly controversial wage cuts. Along with political issues, the precarious social situation of many workers was one of the reasons for the strikes and riots of 1968. This resulted, particularly in Paris, in a rare combination of student revolt and worker protests. The official image of the president has been subverted here in a variety of ways. On the posters, De Gaulle is at once a power-hungry dictator and a puppet controlled by foreign interests. (Bettina Richter)