Revolting News: Vladimir Putin As Art Icon
The Guardian tells us: ‘Souvenirs and clothing featuring Russian dictator Vladimir Putin or pro-government slogans have become popular in Russia this year, with a cult of Putin growing and creating a form of sycophantic art.’ This is not even a cult of personality, in grand Stalin style. It’s just hero worship, as if Putin were a top football figure. Unfortunately, he’s a celebrity who’s nudging Russia back to the dark ages: repressive laws concerning women and gays, the re-enshrinement of the reactionary Russian Orthodox Church, a crackdown on freedom of press and general expression, the incursions into Ukraine. Pictured is a pile of sweatshirts printed with a picture of Putin in the style of a 1950s painting.
