Skip to content

May ’68 – Paris: Posters from the Student Riots

May 68 - Lazarides Gallery

May 68 - Lazarides Gallery

May ’68 – Paris: Posters from the Student Riots

at Lazarides Gallery Newcastle, 5 September – 1 November 2008

Lazarides Gallery Newcastle is delighted to present a show of over 50surviving, anonymous and original pieces of work from the era-defining1968 Parisian student riots

]]>

Lazarides Gallery Newcastle is delighted to present a show of over 50surviving, anonymous and original pieces of work from the era-defining1968 Parisian student riots.

This was the year when political struggle for freedom culminated inglobal protests that shaped the future of youth culture. Paris in May1968, under the conservative constraints of De Gaulle and amid anatmosphere of poverty and unemployment, played host to some of themost widespread and fervent revolts the city had witnessed. Clashesbetween citizens and state brought Paris to a halt and left its leaderclinging on for his dear political life.

After a week of particularly violent clashes, militant posters with strongcolours and bold graphic messages started appearing in the streets -plastered on walls, pasted onto barricades, and carried as placards indemonstrations. Produced as ‘weapons in the service of the struggle’ bythe Atelier Populaire, the outfit newly set up by students and teachers atthe École des Beaux Arts, these anonymous prints combine powerfulimagery with impassioned slogans on mistrust of the media, hatred ofthe reigning political party and solidarity with the workers to provocativeeffect.

Used as propaganda, the posters are graphic reminders of what was ayear in history no one will ever forget. The bold and striking designsinfluenced the DIY aesthetic of the punk generation as well as bearingwitness to a powerful era of revolt and change. Hundreds of silk screenprints were produced during this time that acted as a manifestation of anuprising that swept through the social boundaries of gender, class, ageand education, but few remain. The surviving posters now on show atLazarides Gallery Newcastle represent the art of a revolution, asrelevant today as ever before.

Follow us on:

May ’68 – Paris: Posters from the Student Riots