Pedaling propaganda in new ‘Green Patriot Posters’ book

Artist: Jason Hardy
(See more below)

According to artist and founder of The Canary Project Edward Morris, the Green Patriot Posters project was launched to “create stronger, more broadly appealing imagery for the sustainability movement”. When he and his partners set up a website and asked designers to submit posters, they were intrigued by how many of them included bikes.

Green Patriot Posters is now a book co-edited by Morris and published by Metropolis Books (order it here and support BikePortland). Morris will be in Portland next week to talk about the posters and he was kind enough to get in touch and share a few of them with us…

Artist: Bizhan Khodabandeh

Artist: Matthew Geiger

Artist: Nick Dewar

Artist: Noel Douglas

Artist: Adam Gray

On Thursday night (12/9) at Portland State University, Morris will explain why and how all three aspects of the book’s title, “Green”, “Patriot”, and “Posters”, go together.

As for why he thinks to many of the submissions included bike-related and/or anti-car messages? Here’s a snip he shared from the book:

“The bicycle is a nonthreatening, nonideological image, unsanctimonious and almost childlike. At the same time its mere presence is a direct challenge to our car culture, which drives so much CO2 into our atmosphere. It is also a symbol of individual responsibility and empowerment in the face of an overwhelming challenge. As we spoke mentioned above, the individual is the most resonant institution in our culture today, and it is probably no coincidence that the bicycle—a vehicle built for one—would be so resonant.”

In addition to the book and the speaking tour, Morris has worked to get posters from the book on bus stop ads and billboards throughout the country. Learn more and submit your poster at GreenPatriotPosters.org.

Here are details on the event next week:

Edward Morris, author of Green Patriot Posters
Thursday, 12/9 at 6:00 pm
PSU Shattuck Hall Annex (SW Broadway and Hall St, 2nd Floor of Shattuck Hall)
Reception to follow at Department of Architecture

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

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JohnO
14 years ago

These are wonderful! I wish I could put them all over my office as propaganda.

Ed Morris
14 years ago
Reply to  JohnO

Just FYI: the book as 50 detachable posters! Ready to hang! Just saying, not selling! Available on Amazon 😉

BURR
BURR
14 years ago

the light on that third bike looks really badly aimed

😉

Joe
Joe
14 years ago

haha BURR classic… turn that light down.. 🙂
very cool post BP

charley
charley
14 years ago

Now THIS is what designers are for! I especially like the “rusting” one.

Chris Shaffer
Chris Shaffer
14 years ago

The “Hope” card (which you can get at Reading Frenzy) is the first thing I thought of when I saw this. I have it framed in my kitchen.

http://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/posters-postcards/1492

Spiffy
14 years ago

awesome posters! I want them all!

JAT in Seattle
JAT in Seattle
14 years ago

top one looks a bit French. I’m just sayin’

matt picio
14 years ago
Reply to  JAT in Seattle

I agree. Love it, but my first thought was “Ooh, France!”

Eugene Bicyclist
14 years ago

These are cool posters for sure.

But I’m going to jump in here and say that I am a little saddened by the politicization of the humble bicycle. This is something I’ve been feeling for a couple of years now.

I get incredibly frustrated and angry when I see those news items you link to on occasion, Jonathan, in which hard-right politicians start denigrating bikes as being a “socialist plot” or something.

What the hell? I’ve always tried to just ignore them as being so far out of the mainstream that they don’t really matter.

But then, maybe I’m wrong. As much as I hate to see it happen, perhaps cycling is going to — or already has — become another front in the great political war that’s going on these days.

For me, riding a bicycle has never been a political act. Mostly, I ride my bike because it’s fun. I’m just disappointed that this innocent, naive little bubble of childhood that I get to ride around in for an hour or so everyday has probably popped.

Maybe in the end it will be for the best. Maybe this is just cycling growing up.

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
14 years ago

I like the “Secret Weapon” one.

Opus the Poet
14 years ago

+1,000,000 internet points on the “Secret Weapon”.

Red Five
Red Five
14 years ago

I asked an honest question! How does this appeal to people of color? It’s the liberal white guilt that wants to know why nobody but them rides bikes! How are you appealing to these communities to get out there and ride? But nooooo, Jonathan deleted me once again.

Ed Morris
14 years ago
Reply to  Red Five

We have done workshops in NYC, lA and Boston that were mostly attended by people of color. They were awesome. In the process of getting the results of these up on our website….

jim
jim
14 years ago

Could this be a new olympic sport? Riding and shooting. It sounds like it would take a certain skill