Bilden av Amerika : En semiotisk studie av framställningen av USA i svensk affischkonst under 1960-70-talen

Sammanfattning: This essay investigates how the United States has been portrayed by Swedish artists in the 1960´s and 1970’s. The aim is to discover what signs and attributes these posters utilize and how these signs and attributes given to America is reflective of the culture and conception of America in Sweden during this time period. Firstly, using Mieke Bal and Norman Brysons semiotic methodology, presented in Semiotics and art history from 1991, to analyze the signs and connect them to the right contexts in each poster. Secondly, to identify reoccurring themes and conceptions about America, visual culture theory based on Nicholas Mirzoeffs An introduction to visual culture will be used.  In these posters USA is visualized in different ways, sometimes expressively with just the text “USA”, but most commonly through representative signs likes the American flag, presidents and pictures from Vietnam. USA is depicted as an imperialistic, capitalistic, militaristic nation with a double standard. The posters are created and contributes to a visual culture. And these negative signs are reflective of the Swedish culture and opinions about the United States that could be found during this time period. The political and social commentary in art is also reflective of the 1960´s and 1970´s Sweden and the changing landscape of the Swedish artworld.