Racism is a poison! Remember Solingen is part of the Racism is a poison! collection created by Paul Peter Piech. Piech is known for his bold, unusual, and striking linocut prints that center around social and political issues. This particular print calls for the remembrance of Solingen, a town in Germany that experienced an arson attack by white supremacists in 1993. Like many posters in the series, this poster was hung in public places and bus shelters because Piech wanted to motivate people to take action and push for social reform. Piech created these works out of his concern with questions of power and oppression, using his prints to bring attention to racism and other social issues.
Printing changed propaganda design by allowing posters to be reproduced more efficiently and circulated to larger audiences. However, Piech’s work shows that printing did more than make communication faster and cheaper. The technology itself became part of the visual design. The irregular lettering and rough quality of the linocut give the poster a handmade and energetic appearance, which works well with its message about racism and social action. In this way, printing influenced both how widely the message could be communicated and how the message itself looked.
