Description
- Digital collage
- 18 inches wide, 24 inches high
Publication Date
Fall 10-2020
Keywords
collage, digital, coronavirus, 1918 influenza, pandemic
Disciplines
Art and Design | Graphic Design
Recommended Citation
Ramspott, Leah, "Leah Ramspott: 1918 & 2020 Pandemic Poster" (2020). COVID-19 Graphic Design: Posters. 12.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stu_vad_covidcollage/12
Comments
In this digital collage piece, I wanted to show comparisons between how people reacted to the pandemics (specifically wearing masks) and the effects of these reactions. I thought the mask protests going on in the United States in 2020 due to mask mandates was engaging, and as I did my research, I found that there were also mask protests during the 1918 influenza pandemic at a smaller scale.
I wanted to also show the harsh contrast of those arguing that mask mandates take away people’s rights with those who wear masks to save their own and others’ lives. Torn headlines of the death tolls from each of the pandemics, appearing over an ad for an anti-mask meeting in 1918, show the reality of our actions. In the background, I stand with a group of mask wearers in 1918 along with former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris overlooking and casting judgment on those who put their discomfort above others’ lives.
This piece was completed using Photoshop and some elements of handmade art such as the coronavirus drawings in the background and the torn-out writing.