Artist Discusses the Universal Language and Liberating Powers of Graphic Design

Kate Santini ’27

News Editor

New York-based graphic artist and published author, Josh Macphee, held a talk where he discussed the premise of his recent novel, Graphic Liberation: Image Making and Political Movements, and answered questions about his artistic process and inspiration. The talk commenced with a personalized introduction from the Professor of Sociology, Andrew Thompson, who professed a deep admiration for the artist and shared that he was “lucky to have had Josh design two of [his] book covers.”

While Macphee grew up making art, he got his beginnings in graphic design during junior high and high school when he got involved in the “punk scene,” making T-shirts, record covers, fliers, and other forms of merchandise for his friends’ bands. His work took a “politicized” turn when he began “applying this skill set” to creating logos and advertisements for political organizations that raised awareness for social issues such as mass incarceration and housing shortages. In spite of his growing success in the field, Macphee “never really felt at home in the realm of art or in the realm of design.” While art serves as an outlet through which people can “express themselves,” design is typically used as an “expression of commerce and statecraft.” Choosing not to confine himself to either of these categories, Macphee combines art and design to create a sense of “collective expression.” By relating historical events with iconic designs, such as the pointing finger on the “I Want You” poster or the raised fist used by the Black Lives Matter movement, Macphee discovered his passion for promoting social change through artistic means. More than the power of art and self-expression, Macphee believes in the “power of organized people.” 

Macphee’s recent book focuses on the “common visual language” that artists like himself use to convey political messages and to mobilize certain groups of people to take action against social injustices. According to Macphee, a “language is at the core of a shared culture.” Unlike spoken language, this visual language has the remarkable “ability to travel throughout all kinds of cultural production.” He explained that for centuries, symbols have been associated with broader social contexts and that they have functioned as “letters” that can be strung together to make “sentences.” Macphee differentiated between standard art and symbolic art by suggesting that while “art is [typically] valorized by its scarcity and individual authorship,” symbolic art is strengthened by reproduction and circulation.

Macphee concluded his talk by discussing the “crux in modern art” which is that under the influence of capitalism, art has become “commodified.” Artists are demanded to “build a brand” and as a result of this, they focus almost entirely on themselves. Macphee contends that in order to offset this, artists must disentangle themselves from their work and that instead of inserting themselves as the “protagonist,” artists should produce work that “represents ideas” bigger than themselves. Macphee is currently embodying this message in his own life by creating and circulating work that raises awareness about the genocidal struggle in Palestine. While he has received backlash for his politically potent work, he shared that “if you want your art to be effective, there is going to be stakes involved.” Macphee further asserted that “if we want [the world] to change in a way that is better for our communities, we must get involved.” He urged that Holy Cross students can become involved in political issues close to their hearts by “organizing with fellow students and connecting with the wider Worcester community.”