greatest generation

A conversation with the Art Institute of Chicago

We recently chatted with Erin Hogan, director of public affairs at the Art Institute of Chicago, about their excellent TASS Tumblr blog and WWII-era propaganda in the Soviet Union. 

1. Thanks for taking some time to share a little bit about TASS and their WWII-era posters. Can you tell us first a little bit about TASS and the individuals who ran the wartime art program?

TASS was a Soviet government news agency formed to spread the word throughout the Soviet Union—and the world—about the progress of World War II. In this era before 24-hour cable news channels, hundreds of artists and writers were enlisted to create these propaganda posters, and the TASS studio basically created a poster a day for almost every day of the war. Every theme and design had to be approved by the government, so there was a great deal of coordination and speed to the process.

2. The TASS posters all seem to carry the same unique aesthetic. Propaganda in the West similarly poked fun at the Axis and fought for the hearts and minds at home, but this collection - to the untrained eye - is far more realistic than anything we have ever seen. Can you give us some background on art in the Soviet Union at that time and how it may have played a role in what we see in this collection?

Actually the TASS program was fairly unique in that there were a lot of different aesthetics at play because of the number of different artists enlisted into the program. Some of the posters follow the model of socialist realism, the visual language most often recognized as propaganda. But there are posters that are more in an expressionist vein or that draw on the language of the Russian avant-garde, including the Suprematist movement and its drive toward pure geometric forms. (More information can be found in the catalogue.)

3. Several of the posters depict the war on the Eastern Front in vivid detail. What were some of the themes TASS was trying to convey with their wartime posters?

There were many themes pursued over the TASS project. Certainly bulletins on the progress of the war—the outcome of particular battles, land captured or regained—were a part of it. Another prevalent theme was the demonization of Hitler; many posters depicted him as an animal, a butcher, a murderer, etc. (see our “Faces of the Enemy” video). There are also many posters that draw parallels between WWII and famous wars of the past, such as the Crusades or the American or French revolutions, or that demonstrate the power and solidarity of the Allies.

4. Your Tumblr page notes that the collection served as “ambassadors” for the Soviet Union. Can you tell us about the tour and its reception?

These posters, during WWII, were not only displayed in Moscow store windows and throughout that country, but they were also sent, as part of a mail campaign, to cultural institutions in Europe and the United States with the objective of rallying support among the Allied nations. The posters had been in storage at the Art Institute since the 1940s but had never been displayed, so in this case the ambassadors were fairly inactive.

5. Where can our followers find out more about TASS and its wartime writers and painters? 

We have an exhibition module that provides more in-depth information (see here).

6. The Art Institute of Chicago has a number of exhibitions on display at any given time. What can we look forward to in 2012?

We are really excited about Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective, opening in May, but with about 30 exhibitions a year, there’s a lot to choose from. 

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