The exhibit includes a range of political posters showing Cuban solidarity with peoples' struggles in Korea, Mozambique, South Africa, Guatemala and Puerto Rico. The Guatemalan one, for instance, shows a vibrantly colored Aztec god gripping a rifle. Several posters celebrate the inspirational role of Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolution who was murdered by the CIA in Bolivia. One reflects the influence of pop art, with a Warhol-like silhouette of Che s face in black etched with a border of brilliant turquoise on a red background. A 1967 poster dedicated to the protest song features a solitary pink rose with a drop of blood dripping from a thorn.
Many posters oppose the U.S. role in world politics.
For instance, a poster in support of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos shows a demonic Nixon with blue skin, the whites of his eyes a blood red and the top of his skull filled with a photo of a massacre. What makes it striking is that the sleeve above the hand is decorated with stars and stripes and nails are pointing out of the hand. According to the program notes, many of the Cuban film posters designed for both Cuban and European movies combine elements from American pop art, the European psychedelic movement and influences from Czech, Polish and Japanese posters. Created with a limited palette of vivid colors and stark images, the film posters are all silkscreened, which enriches their texture. The 1999 poster for the Cuban film about 12 chairs features a black ornately carved sidechair pulled in two directions by white ties against a red background.