This by far is my most favoret propaganda image. Norman Rockwell's interpritation of Rosie the Riviter, as a feminine powerhouse that symbolized the women's place in the World War II U.S. workforce on the May 29, 1943 cover of The Saturday Evening Post.
Since I am and have been an artist most my life. I particularly have always been drawn to propaganda imagery. Not only because of the political implications that drive the artists' vision/idea themselves but the sometimes hidden subliminal messages or blunt sugestive implications the viewer most times does not realize immeadietly, blah blah blah art history crap blah blah...
In this particular oil painting, Rosie is sitting on a guetter post on her lunch break, infront of a muted U.S. Flag, a riveting gun on her lap, an all American bologna sandwich in her hand and a radded copy of Mein Kampf as a foot rest ...(if you don't know what this book is... You need more history classes). Mr. Rockwell's version of Rosie is posed as an obvouse "homage" to Michelangelo's frescoe of the prophet Isaiah from the ceiling Sistine Chapel. (being an art student sometimes pays off with discripters. Most of the time it is just unused information.)
Now I am not going to go over all the smaller details N.R. has imbedded into this piece, the sugestivness and implacatory symbols riddled through it. You can look up that on-line yourself. What I will summerize is this, though truthfully this imagery ( as a whole) did not become mainstraem until the 80's with it's wide media popularity, it holds a very important grasp on the female perseption in our country and the views it inspires with them.
...and in my opinion, the Westinghouse company couldn't even begin to touch the iconic female "brute-grace" that Rockwell captured.
...Tesla Out...
-- Posted From My iPhone
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