Art for the Climate Strike
Ahead of today's climate strike, Labour Party Graphic Designers have released a series of designs to illustrate the socialist alternative to climate catastrophe.
Labour Party Graphic Designers have unveiled our second artpack. Themed around the imminent danger posed by the climate crisis, the collection of thirteen posters designed by Labour-supporting artists were released in collaboration with Labour for a Green New Deal and feature a foreword from the organisation’s co-director, Adrienne Buller.
“Climate change and its effects are difficult to communicate,” Adrienne says, “to many it is a distant, overly-scientific, even abstract concern.” The aim of this artpack is to transcend that, placing eye-catching imagery at the disposal of the movement against the climate emergency.
As Adrienne writes, “the climate emergency is a product of our current economic system.” As such, the artpack aims to make the case for “a new system, a socialist path led by a Labour government,” which, Labour for a Green New Deal hopes, will adopt a transformative green agenda.
The artwork is inspired by the Federal Art Project, a New Deal programme in the United States that ran from 1935-’43 and was inspired by popular front politics. Its aim, as with our aim today, was to use art to give people a vision of a new world.
Artpack
2.01
Design by Toby Forster, @tobyforster88
One of the stand-out pieces from this artpack, Toby’s poster takes inspiration from the Work Project Administration from the original New Deal. A sizable archive of New Deal era posters can be found here.
2.02
Design by Robin Wilde, @thewilderobin
Another piece taking inspiration from the past to create a message about the future is Robin Wilde’s submission, modelled on a public health campaign ‘You Can’t Ignore the Rat’ from Alberta, Canada in 1950.
2.03
Peter Brawne is one of the artists behind Lewes Labour’s excellent posters for the CLP’s monthly open meetings. Quoting Dylan’s lyrics from Blowing in the Wind, Brawne makes an appeal for investment in wind power.
Design by Peter Brawne
2.04
Design by Kevin Kennedy Ryan, @k_47
Staying on the theme of lyrics, We Only Want the Earth is a socialist song and poem written by Irish revolutionary James Connolly and invoked here by Kevin Kennedy Ryan.
2.05
Design by David Bushell, @davidbushell82
This design comes from London-based David Bushell. Bushell’s Green New Deal poster encapsulates the vibrancy of the movement and its bold vision for the future.
2.06
Design by Alice Colvin-Cousley
Leeds-based illustrator Alice Colvin-Cousley presents a utopian design using thick lines to create a uniformity.
LPGD has recently put out a call for more female/non-binary designers and illustrators to submit to artpacks. For more details, visit https://www.labourdesign.co.uk/voter-registration.
2.07
Design by Lee Barker, @lbrkrdesign
Lee Barker’s contribution echoes Labour’s ‘A Future Fair for All’ manifesto cover from 2010, as well as Labour’s famous ‘Greet the Dawn’ poster from the early 20th century.
2.08
Design by Mark Ellis, @photolad
The days of Dave Cameron hugging huskies and leaving his kids in a pub may seem far behind us, but we all still recoil a little bit at hearing the mantra ‘think Green, vote blue.’ Mark Ellis turns the phrase on its head.
2.09
Design by Martin Le Brech, @martinschndr
Martin Le Brech from Aberdeen Labour Students produces a poster focused on the Climate Strike, once again harking back to the messaging of the original New Deal.
2.10
Design by William Sorenson, @willuminaire
Borrowing from a phrase first used by socialist artist Walter Crane on a Christmas card in 1894 (and now appearing on Tribune’s bannerhead!) William Sorenson brings new meaning to idea of “the cause of labour.”
2.11
Design by Sam Marner, @marnerbanana
The third artwork from Sheffield is Sam Marner’s poster design focusing on tangible actions that a Labour government will take to address the climate crisis.
2.12
Design by Danny Tye, @dannytye01
Danny Tye’s poster shows the Green New Deal blowing a hole in-between the dual scourges of capitalism and corruption.
2.13
Design by Viljo Wilding, @viljow_
The final entry in LPGD’s artpack comes from London’s Viljo Wilding. Wilding’s minimalist poster addresses how our present economic system is a threat to the planet and why a Labour government would have transformational power.