“It is the official art of authoritarian governments, aimed at extending state control through propaganda. Totalitarian kitsch exists to glorify the state, foster a personality cult surrounding the dictator and celebrate ceaseless and irrevocable social and economic progress through images of churning factories and happy, exultant workers.”
I have long pondered the boundless evil of all things kitsch but now thanks to this article (via Bookforum) I have new reasons to fear it.
One response
That the dictators in question, and Putin, are drawn to kitsch only proves that they have an understanding of art roughly on the level of the majority of the flyover in the USA. The flyover masses scare me way more than totalitarian kitsch. They have the buying power that dictates acceptable design in all things mass produced. (“If you can’t sell it to the flyover, you can’t produce it” could be the mating call between the hapless industrial designer and any large company selling anything (soda, toys, consumer electronics).
the phrase:
“is working on various unfinished novels about love and the apocalypse.” from Berger’s bio blurb is far more interesting to me than anything in this post or the article referenced.
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