Cynthia Kingsley-Smith
Illustration
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Overview: Hope is an Act of Resistance
Famous designer Milton Glaser puts this eloquently in a 2004 Keynote:
“When people believe that their government systemically lies to them they become cynical. Cynicism breeds apathy and a sense of powerlessness that causes people to withdraw from public life.“
This issue effects the population at large, as living coniditions and civil rights worsen more and more people feel unrepresented by their constituents and wish to detach themselves entirely from political activism as the situation can feel hopeless and overwhelming. However, this apathy can actually directly cause the situation to become more and more dire and it is important to provoke direct action to prevent this happening.
Additionally, this withdrawl from public life is something I believe that artists and designers are in a fantastic position to combat. Through inspiring and educational imagry, we’re able to unify and provoke positive action from people that may have bowed out of combating the “hopeless” status quo.
READING:
https://www.miltonglaser.com/files/Essays-Ambiguity-8192.pdf - Delivered at the AIGA Brand Identity Conference, NYC - June 21, 2004
https://sojo.net/articles/opinion/hope-not-optimism-hope-defiance