2004 Tak!
DESCRIPTION
In this Ukrainian political poster, the country's former president Viktor Yushchenko's slogan "Taк!" ("Yes!" in Ukranian) is placed above an illustration of George W. Bush riding the country like a bucking bronco. Posters like this—alongside others showing Yushchenko dressed as a cowboy or Uncle Sam—were part of a broader "Bushcenko" propaganda effort aimed at framing the politician as an American puppet.
Centered across its upper third, Yushchenko's campaign slogan "Taк!" is centered in bright red block letters with the exclamation mark contained within a horseshoe. Beneath it, then-president of the U.S. George W. Bush mounts Ukraine with a saddle and reins. The map of Ukraine that Bush sits upon is artificially divided into 3 regions, the borders of which generally correspond to linguistic dividing lines within Ukraine.
Though unconfirmed, this print was very likely produced by the campaign of Viktor Yanukovych, a major opponent of Yushchenko's known for his divisive rhetoric. In other campaign material, Yanukovych used the same map to show the "three types" of Ukranians that Yushchenko allegedly divided the country into: “I сорт” (first class) in the Orange west, “II сорт” (second class) in the blue north-centre and far-western tip, and "III сорт” (third class) in the yellow east and south bordering Russia.
What appears to be information about the poster's publisher appears along its lower left border. However, much of it may not be trustworthy. At the time of the election, some election watchdogs reported that such anti-Yuschenko material often named fake printers and understated print runs—sometimes by a factor of almost a thousand. Searches for ПП Мацик В.С., the small private firm that this print names as its publisher, and for I. Yu. Komarnytska., the figure named as its creator or commissioner, both turn up empty.
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622