Speaking of the States of America, as I was in the "Blog Notes" post below, did TIME magazine subtly either a.) give Trump devil's horns using the "M" in its name or b.) make a sly visual reference to an historical cover of Adolf Hitler on purpose?
Both, I'd wager; creative work is usually more intentional than casual observers give it credit for being. Alex Cooke, who wrote a commentary on the issue at Fstoppers, says the Internet is very split over this. "I spoke to several industry associates," Alex writes, "and surprisingly, no one was lukewarm; they either saw the resemblance in the extreme or saw nothing at all."
Mike
(Thanks to Aaron Greenman)
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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Barbara Haig: "Hi Mike—here's an interesting take on the photo: 'Why Time's Trump Cover Is a Subversive Work of Political Art,' at Forward."
FWIW, I'm not buying the devil's horn bit (other cover personalities incl Il Papa hosted them)- the chair... hhmmmm. But there's no doubt what really irks Herr Donald is the frayed upholstery on said chair.
Posted by: Stan B. | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 12:19 PM
I never even noticed the "horns".
I was too distracted by his bald head shining through the appalling comb-over!
Posted by: Rich | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 12:48 PM
It can all be handled by this:
http://www.ntnews.com.au/technology/this-chrome-browser-extension-turns-everything-donald-trump-into-adorable-kittens/news-story/bd0b3232a3bf8fc177d5474c61fad92b
Posted by: Chuck Albertson | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 01:02 PM
I guess there'll be a bunch of these analyses, but here's one that I thought was interesting from a photographer and storyteller point of view.
http://forward.com/culture/356537/why-times-trump-cover-is-a-subversive-work-of-political-art/
Posted by: Kenneth Wajda | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 01:18 PM
I note that in Time's cover photo Donald Trump is looking backward.
Posted by: Brad Thompson | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 01:26 PM
So, they have the same taste in furniture. And swept-over hair. And a similar expression. Also, a similar bent towards authoritarianism, hyperpatriotism and paranoia. Other than that, it's all different now.
Posted by: John McMillin | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 03:08 PM
Mike,
I remember commenting here at the beginning of the primary season that Trump would be but a memory after a few primaries. Gone and forgotten. Boy, was I wrong...
No, I don't see any symbolism or any resemblance in the Time covers. Or,perhaps I don't want to see any. Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke.
Posted by: Joe B | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 03:26 PM
It's funny what people notice. I thought the controversy was the inconsistent shadow on the background to Trump's left when the light is clearly coming from the left as well.
Posted by: Kurt Shoens | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 04:34 PM
I genuinely didn't spot the horns until I read your comment (and I think they're a bit forced), and I don't see the comparison with the Hitler image.
I think a portrait is just a portrait; it's a mistake to look for hidden meaning in one, A shot taken five seconds after the one that appeared - of anyone - could look completely different. Possibly does, because who knows how many shots the photographer took? The selection of the image to publish is no longer 'pure' - it now includes not only the photographer's choices (angle, perspective, lighting, etc) but also the picture editor's preferences and quite possibly the subject's manager's as well.
Posted by: Tom Burke | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 05:18 PM
Lots of differences. First of all, Trump isn't wearing a Sam Browne belt.
The comparison would have been more fitting if HRC was the Person of the Year 8-)
Posted by: c.d.embrey | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 06:10 PM
Yes, I can see the resemblance between the two.Trump is photographed from behind about 15 degrees off he camera line, looking back and his eyes looking directly at the camera. Hitler is photographed from the front about 30 degrees off the camera line and his eyes are looking 20 degrees away from the camera.
Horns? Show me all the cases of people pictures on the over of time where the M is not directly or nearly directly above the head. No others? Maybe you have a case.
But sure, there is cerebral input into design, but there is also serendipity, things that just work, that come out of the creative unconscious of the well trained and well practiced artist.
I would suggest drawing a parallel between the Hitler cover and the Trump cover is drawing a very long bow.
Cheers, Geoff
Posted by: Geoffrey Heard | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 08:04 PM
What "horns"....what "Hitler"? Nice chair.
Posted by: Dan Khong | Friday, 09 December 2016 at 09:14 PM
I should have also included this link to Mr. Morris' own page. It includes a nice picture by
David Turnley.
Mr. Morris looks two decades younger than he is. Here's wishing him many more years!
https://www.facebook.com/johng.morris.75
http://tinyurl.com/jv68yoe
Posted by: Alan Carmody | Saturday, 10 December 2016 at 12:54 AM
Adolf also had tiny hands. I hope this is not a premonition...
Posted by: David Lee | Saturday, 10 December 2016 at 02:01 AM
Symbolism is tricky, especially in a world of bubbles where it's easy to avoid having to prove an opinion is justified or well-founded. The chair could signify decay, or it could signify a hero's battle-worn shield. Even if you opt for decay, is the decay that of the sitter, or of a failed system (soon to be redeemed), or even the confirmative wabi-sabi of old-money power, now invaded by the forces of plain common sense (or barbarism – take your pick).
Whatever else Trump may be, he is a consummate master of his own public image. That he would not have had a veto on the use of this photo is inconceivable. It would be interesting to hear what he (and his team) think the message is.
There have been other such portraits (Goebbels, Krupp, and for a wholly American, non-Nazi example, J.P. Morgan). They tend to get photo history buffs all excited, but I'm not sure they changed much in real life.
Posted by: Struan | Saturday, 10 December 2016 at 04:56 AM
I didn't notice the horns until now, but I definitely noticed the baleful look. Oh America, what have you done!
Posted by: Peter Croft | Saturday, 10 December 2016 at 05:32 AM
It is important to listen to the poor and dispossessed .... But with Nigel Farage here and Donald Trump over your side of the pond .... Look into whose hands we have delivered them.
Posted by: Tom Bell | Monday, 12 December 2016 at 10:19 AM