As I visited Bletchley Park, among the displays regarding codebreaking, the Ultra devices, and the Wrens, the different propaganda posters around the park caught my eye the most. Compared to the propaganda that I came across at the other sites we visited, the simple cartoon art style immediately caught my eye. The use of colors and space was interesting, and it reminded me more of the posters I would see in school than propaganda. Propaganda is a striking and effective tool, and many pieces are genuinely interesting and deserve artistic recognition outside of just their wartime purpose. These pieces were a great example. The fact that they sold this art as postcards in the gift shop (which I, of course, bought) makes it clear that I am not the only one who thinks this. This made me want to learn about the artist behind these interesting pieces, which I would learn was a man named Fougasse.
This was the first poster that stood out to me
His real name was Cyril Kenneth Bird, and he was originally an engineering student at King’s College, but after being injured in the Battle of Gallipoli in World War One, he could no longer do so, so he turned to art. Over time, he developed his unique art style as he worked for, and eventually became the editor of, Punch magazine, a popular British magazine. When the Second World War started, he was given the job of creating propaganda during the war, which included many pieces like the ones above and below. These are the pieces that dot Bletchley Park. Even after eighty or so years, his artistic works still work as important pieces of pop art that still stand out to a person like me, someone just randomly wondering on the site. I am glad that these pieces stood out to me, as they allowed me to discover Fougasse’s story. It reminded me of what we discussed in class and throughout our visit to London about how many people in Britain often emphasize how each person did what they could for the war effort, even if they could not fight, when recounting the war. Fougasse did what he could, and his posters are a legacy of this. His war story is a small piece of a bigger story, just as his art is a smaller piece of a large site. I want to learn more about these small stories, and I hope to discover these small stories as I continue this trip.
The use of space is great in this piece
Further reading on Fougasse:
https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Cyril-Kenneth-Bird-Fougasse/84DBDEFEA09267C0