I was three years old when Che Guevara was assassinated, but as a ‘red diaper’ baby I grew up with this image always around. While my sense of Che was simplistic, I knew he was a hero of an historic revolution.
I know a bit more now. The image, based on a 1960 photo by Albert Korda, is still charged, full of meaning, although I’m wondering what’s left.
A few years ago, a small fashion spread in a local weekly featured a young woman in a baby T featuring the famous Che image priced at $89. That was a head shaker.
The Communication Arts cover is linked to two articles inside. One article is a rambling article about design and life in Cuba which briefly mentions the image of Che. The second is an article about a Cuban born illustrator who has lived in America since his family fled Cuba over 25 years ago.
The Cuban born artist, Edel Rodriguez, was commissioned to create the cover. He explains it as “A wired Cuban generation seeks the status of our logo culture as we seek the rebel status of theirs.” In this context – the icon swooshed and plugged in on the cover of an expensive magazine about advertising with a nod to the power of Cuba‘s caché as a rebel brand – it still feels to me a bit like displaying Che’s head on a pike at the gate of America.
But I did buy it, so I’m the sucker.
The cover on the left is the magazine for the V&A Museum, which I just found on the weekend. The cover story is an article by Rick Poyner which goes along with a show exploring the life of Korda’s image of Che.
Apparently, this image of Che has been used to brand wine, cigarettes, soda... In Australia there is Cherry Guevara ice cream.
Poynter writes “While critics argue that photographers cannot expect to control the meaning of their work, there is something distasteful about the way that Che’s image has been twisted around to endorse everything he opposed.” Understatement.
The article (and the show) includes Korda’s original contact sheet, which I think is a fascinating artifact.
I was three years old when Che Guevara was assassinated, but as a ‘red diaper’ baby I grew up with this image always around. While my sense of Che was simplistic, I knew he was a hero of an historic revolution.
I know a bit more now. The image, based on a 1960 photo by Albert Korda, is still charged, full of meaning, although I’m wondering what’s left.
A few years ago, a small fashion spread in a local weekly featured a young woman in a baby T featuring the famous Che image priced at $89. That was a head shaker.
The Communication Arts cover is linked to two articles inside. One article is a rambling article about design and life in Cuba which briefly mentions the image of Che. The second is an article about a Cuban born illustrator who has lived in America since his family fled Cuba over 25 years ago.
The Cuban born artist, Edel Rodriguez, was commissioned to create the cover. He explains it as “A wired Cuban generation seeks the status of our logo culture as we seek the rebel status of theirs.” In this context – the icon swooshed and plugged in on the cover of an expensive magazine about advertising with a nod to the power of Cuba‘s caché as a rebel brand – it still feels to me a bit like displaying Che’s head on a pike at the gate of America.
But I did buy it, so I’m the sucker.
The cover on the left is the magazine for the V&A Museum, which I just found on the weekend. The cover story is an article by Rick Poyner which goes along with a show exploring the life of Korda’s image of Che.
Apparently, this image of Che has been used to brand wine, cigarettes, soda... In Australia there is Cherry Guevara ice cream.
Poynter writes “While critics argue that photographers cannot expect to control the meaning of their work, there is something distasteful about the way that Che’s image has been twisted around to endorse everything he opposed.” Understatement.
The article (and the show) includes Korda’s original contact sheet, which I think is a fascinating artifact.