Art and Propaganda
| Art and Propaganda | |
|---|---|
| Moravska State Archive · 1976 | |
| Classification | Arts and Leisure |
| Status | canon |
| Last updated | 2026-11-03 |
| Archive source | 07 Arts and Leisure/Art and Propaganda.md |
| Length | 836 words (4 min read) |
| Word count | 3 words, or 4 at most |
| Colour | Red, white, black, and one blue |
| Figure | One person or one object, never a crowd |
| Letter | Heavy block capitals. See [[Script and Typography]] |
| Space | Half the poster is empty |
| Internal links | 3 outgoing, 8 incoming |
| Sources | 3 cited |
Contents
[hide]The state pays for art and it sets the style. The style is called "the new realism". It shows a real worker in a real place, with a clear message.
The poster [edit]
A state poster follows 5 rules.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Word count | 3 words, or 4 at most |
| Colour | Red, white, black, and one blue |
| Figure | One person or one object, never a crowd |
| Letter | Heavy block capitals. See Script and Typography |
| Space | Half the poster is empty |
A poster is designed to be read at 4 m from a moving bus. A poster that needs a second look has failed.
|
Note:
|
A 1976 poster
A cable coil, a red star, the words "CABLE FOR THE PLAN". The coil fills the left half. The star sits at the bottom right.
|
The themes [edit]
Five themes fill the walls.
| Theme | Image | Text |
|---|---|---|
| The plan | A cable, a ship, a furnace | "FIVE YEARS IN FOUR" |
| The alliance | Two hands, two flags | "FRIENDSHIP OF THE FLEETS" |
| The worker | A face, a helmet, a tool | "THE TRADE IS HONOUR" |
| The sea | A bow, a wave, a light | "THE SEA IS OUR ROAD" |
| The peace | A child, a dove, a branch | "NO TO WAR" |
The second theme changed in 1968. The state printed fewer posters about the alliance after that year.
Sculpture [edit]
A hero figure stands in bronze. The figure is large and simple.
| Work | Place | Year | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sailor | Zaligrad port | 1959 | A man with a rope, 6 m |
| The Mother of the Port | Skalina | 1971 | A woman and a child, 5 m |
| The Copper Worker | Medenik | 1965 | A man with a ladle, 7 m |
| The Partisan | Branishte | 1961 | A figure with a rifle, 4 m |
The Sailor is the best known. A sailor touches the base before a first voyage. The habit is not official and it is strong.
Painting [edit]
A state painter shows 3 subjects.
- A worker at a machine.
- A family at a table.
- A landscape with a new building.
The Academy of Arts has 90 students. A graduate paints a state commission and a private picture.
The kitchen painter [edit]
An unofficial painter works at home. The style is loose and the subject is private.
| Subject | Why it is private |
|---|---|
| A coast lane at dusk | No message |
| A woman at a window | No work |
| A church | A religious subject |
| A nude | A banned subject |
A kitchen painter sells to a friend for 40 to 120 leva. A state painter earns 300 a month and shows twice a year.
|
Warning:
|
The line
A private picture is legal. A private exhibition is not. A painter who shows 6 pictures in a flat invites a talk at the union.
|
Photography [edit]
A state photograph follows 3 rules.
- A person looks at the work, not at the camera.
- The light is even and the sky is empty.
- The caption names a plant and a number, not a person.
A wedding photograph is the opposite. A family stands in a line, looks at the camera, and pays for 12 copies.
Cinema [edit]
The state studio makes 2 films a year. The country has 96 cinemas and a ticket costs 0.60 leva.
| Film type | Share | Content |
|---|---|---|
| War film | 40 percent | 1941 to 1944, a group, a sacrifice |
| Work film | 25 percent | A plant, a target, a solution |
| Comedy | 20 percent | A village, a wedding, a mistake |
| Children's film | 15 percent | An animal, a boat, a lesson |
A foreign film comes from the Soviet Union, Poland, or Italy. A Western film needs a special permit and a closed screening.
The alphabet as a motif [edit]
The state uses the alphabet as a symbol of the nation. A poster shows a letter as a building or a ship.
The two unique letters appear on a 1974 poster for the Day of the Word. The poster shows Ꙃ as a cable coil. See Script and Typography.
The shortage in art [edit]
The state has a shortage of 3 things.
- Copper sheet for a monument.
- Good paint. A red fades in 2 years in the salt air.
- Paper for a poster. A poster runs for 400 copies.
A faded poster is a common sight. A wall with a red ghost on it marks the year of a campaign.
Other notes [edit]
See also[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Investigative file Ministry of Culture (1973). KORZO dossier: Skalina file. Ministry of the Interior. KOR-1973-4347. Cited in Painting, The alphabet as a motif. See also Copper Palace.
- Survey report Archive Clerk 14 (1974). Coastal survey report: Branishte. Coastal Survey Office. CSO-1974-5836. Cited in Photography, The shortage in art. See also Architecture.
- Official document I. Petrov (1977). Ministry circular on regional administration in the Kraybrezhie. Ministry of Culture. MOC-1977-9372. Cited in The alphabet as a motif, Other notes. See also Education and Pioneers.
References[edit]
Documents in the archive that cite or cross-reference Art and Propaganda:
- ^ "Architecture". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Copper Palace". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Cuisine". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Education and Pioneers". Society and Power, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Music". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Proverbs and Idioms". Language, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Script and Typography". Language, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "The Kervan Race". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.