Although ‘Man and the Machine’ nears the end of it’s run at Rollins College’s Cornell Fine Arts Museum, you have until August 8 to check it out, and I highly suggest doing so.
The exhibit centers around a collection of Stalinist Russian propaganda posters that languished for decades—forgotten—in campus storage. In a creative turn, this multi-dimensional show pairs the Russian posters with their World War I era American and British counterpart posters. Also on display are the tools and process involved in the museum’s meticulous restoration project, an educational touch granting viewers greater appreciation for the work as it stands today.
Politics and social context are surely at the foreground here. Visitors are free to compare and contrast illustrations of Stalin’s state-sponsored collectivization to patriotic war efforts emblazoned on posters from America and Great Britain. Fans of the persuasive and political power of art will especially enjoy the curatorial details outlining history and notable discussion points.
For better or worse, the historical images may evoke the propaganda-style image of President Obama circulating across America not long ago. As I roamed the exhibit I overheard my fellow guests exchanging modern concerns about media and collectivization. “This is happening today,” one woman said with a hint of irritation. Is it? Go and judge for yourself.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum
1000 Holt Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
407.646.2526
Tues-Fri 10 AM-4 PM
Sat-Sun 12-5 PM
$5.00 Admission; Children, Students, Rollins Faculty, and CFAM Members Free
