Tara Fedenrecht

Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Fellow in the Humanities

20122013 Forum on Peripheries

Tara Fedenrecht

Design

Rejection of American Exceptionalism: Exploration of Propaganda Visual Tropes Implemented in Peripheral Countries

Viewed through an American lens, this project is an investigation of visual propaganda involving anti-Americanism sentiments via peripheral polities not aligned with U.S.-centric ideals and ideology. Some forms of visual representation to be explored are North Korean animation, Iranian graffiti/mural arts, Venezuelan television commercials, Palestinian death photomontages, and Cuban billboards. In addition to this contemporary anti-American propaganda examination, I will also compile a comparison study of the visual portrayals of current and recent leaders' of the aforementioned countries. Questions of how their state-controlled, state-sanctioned art reflect these leaders' godlike image globally as well as how the United States chooses to respond to and ridicule such imagery will be addressed.