Definition
[Propaganda is the systematic and deliberate attempt to shape and/or manipulate public opinion in one’s own interests, with the aim of producing a reaction or attitude desired by the originator. It is not the truthfulness of a message that is important, but the skilful selection or manipulation of it.]
From the website of the german domestic intelligence services
Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima, 2021
rusty iron pigment and oil on canvas, 200 x 150 cm, 78.7" x 59.1"
It is often claimed that “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” is the most reproduced photograph in the world. Although the image suggested a victory that was far from reality at the time it was taken, it served as an advertising medium for war bonds and contributed to the proceeds of $26.3 billion (today’s value $450 billion).
"Nayirah", 2022
rusty iron pigment and oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 27.6" x 23.6"
In her false testimony, Nayirah claimed that after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers take babies out of incubators in a Kuwaiti hospital, remove the incubators and leave the babies to die.
This and the two following paintings show a distortion similar to a line fault on an analogue television screen. This distortion is symbolic of the potential distortion of truth in television and other media. It is a powerful allegory for the challenges we face in our information age.
"Colin Powell", 2022
rusty iron pigment and oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 27.6" x 23.6"
“My second purpose today is … to share with you what the United States knows about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction … Iraq’s behavior demonstrate that Saddam Hussein and his regime have made no effort … to disarm as required by the international community. Indeed, the facts and Iraq’s behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction … every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we’re giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence”
— Colin Powell, Address to the United Nations Security Council
"No one intends to built a wall", 2022
rusty iron pigment and oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, 27.6" x 23.6"
June 15, 1961. Two months before the Wall is erected in Berlin, State Council Chairman Walter Ulbricht denies these plans in a press conference: “No one intends to build a wall.”
