A History of Communism - Summary

Jim Dine - A History of Communism

Key Points

• Certain imagery in Dine's projects symbolise Socialism.
• A Communist Society was a Utopian idea for the working class and their interests, the use of symbolism served as a reminder of this.

Key Quotes

• 'a wide array of tools - brushes, scissors, hammers and different types of pliers - have been part of Dine's visual vocabulary since the 1960s…'tools were an essential part of the symbolism of the former socialist countries' 
• 'The tools served as a reminder that the worker's interests were meant to be the foundation of the future communist society…ideology…the symbolic reference points remained a strong visual clue.'

Summary

In 'A History of Communism' Gwendolyn Sasse explores the ways in which Jim Dine expresses the idealistic views of a society through symbolism in his prints. Certain imagery in his projects depict the idea of socialism, an 'array of tools - brushes, scissors, hammers and different types of pliers' which have been 'part of Dine's visual vocabulary since the 1960s' are used. This imagery was an 'essential part of the symbolism of the former socialist countries'.

Dine's tools 'served as a reminder that the worker's interests were meant to be the foundation of the future communist society'. This was utopian idea, especially regarding the working class at this time. The experience of living in a socialist society has become a 'more distant and indirect memory' so visualising this notion can help people to 'remember and relay the history of communism'. Although the 'ideology' of socialism did not come to pass, the 'symbolic reference points remained a strong visual clue' for the masses. Dine's work is an example of how print can provide someone with a visual voice.