Culver City,
California
x
World Solidarity with Cuba
Date Made: n.d.
Country: Cuba
Materials: paper; ink
Measurements: 59.5 cm x 41 cm; 23 7/16 in x 16 1/8 in
A poster designed by Rafael Enriquez, published and distributed by the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America (Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, África y América Latina, OSPAAAL). Against a black background, an arm (certainly symbolizing the United States, given the American stars and stripes on its sleeve) emerges from the left corner, pointing a handgun at the Cuban flag. However, the barrel of the gun has bent away from the flag and back towards its owner. This poster asserts that the United States’ imperialist aggression is no match for Cuba and its international supporters. Unlike posters produced by Cuban governmental organizations such as Editoria Politica that were intended to be displayed in public spaces throughout Cuba, OSPAAAL posters were instead folded up and slipped in between the pages of each issue of Tricontinental, a magazine featuring content focused on various internationalist, anti-imperialist and socialist concerns. Within Tricontinental, OSPAAAL posters were mailed to as many as eighty-seven countries, with the magazine’s distribution reaching a high of 30,000 copies in 1989. OSPAAAL posters often featured colorful, eclectic, and innovative designs, with tones ranging from stylishly satirical to revolutionary optimistic, and with their messaging almost always translated into Spanish, English, French, and Arabic for their wide international audience to enjoy, distribute and display in their own communities.
Accession Number: 2017.048.006
On View: Yes