Latyshev Konstantin Eduardovich (b.1966)
Liberty or Death
Yr. 2012
Canvas, acrylic
100 x 80 cm
«Freedom or Death» is a classic example of Konstantin Latyshev’s work. The artist masterfully combines the aesthetics of the advertising poster with the technique of painting. The image of the blonde girl is taken from a photograph of Canadian pop punk star Avril Lavigne, who in the 2010’s was often eroticized in the media. The expression of her face seems to refer the viewer to a famous photograph of Albert Einstein. The combination of red and white colors, as well as the font in the inscription «Freedom or Death» borrowed from the style of the logo of the company Coca-cola. The phrase itself is a well-known political slogan throughout the world: it is the national motto of Greece, Turkey and Uruguay, and in 1913 it was heard during one of the most famous speeches by British women’s rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst. By combining the expressive glossy visual image with the iconic phrase for world history, Latyshev plays with the viewers' perception and reflects on topical issues of feminism in 2012 and today.