Satire and Propaganda of Soviet Posters: The Artistic Representation of Laughter and Disgust in Deni’s Works

Abstract

First appeared for commercial purposes in the early 20th century, Russian posters developed into independent art through the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution. The early 20th century was the most productive period for Russian Art, as various experiments were conducted in the coexistence and competition of various painting trends. Amid the turbulent conditions leading to the revolution, civil war, and establishment of the Soviet Union, the integration of various artists’ experiments with the revolution is reflected in the form and content of posters produced at the time. Viktor Deni, who is called the pioneer and classic of the Soviet poster, had a profound influence on later Soviet propaganda art and posters by embodying personal laughter, social humor and satire, and disgust based on his unique political insight and artistic imagination. Nevertheless, in Soviet poster exhibitions and related studies, Deni has been introduced as a fragment of the history of Soviet art and has not drawn much attention for the artistic value of his satirical posters because of their ideological aspect. Therefore, this study examines the meaning of the creative works of Deni, which were the basis of Soviet political posters during the formation and development of Russian posters in the revolutionary period, and clarifies the social function of his satire and the essence of propaganda art through the transformation of laughter revealed in his posters.