Pawel Kuczynski creates a powerful image that challenges and criticizes rebellions overthrowing governments to elect someone new. In his image Kuczynski uses a few key components First being the color red and white, specifically whites association with purity and reds association with Communism and violence. Second being the dirt that the statue comes up from, and the struggle and speed it portrays in the replacement of leaders through revolutions. Thirdly the statue design itself, with them being the same design and on rotation. Lastly the number and placement of ropes that are being used to take down the statues.

First and foremost the color red that is present in this image. It is the most notable color that drowns out all other colors or tints them. Why is the color red so present in this picture? Firstly it stands for communism. The color red is usually associated with communism, which with the Russian flag being mostly red it is a commonly associated symbol with communism. Also look at the banners that people are holding, they are red which is an allusion to that Russian flag that shows immediately how the crowd of people believes in Communism. Had the crowd just been red it would have been hard to tell, but the banners are able to help portray the possibility of the Russian flag. 

Secondly red is also associated with violence, which is how most, if not all government overthrows are, with violence and death breaking out. For example the Cuban Revolution that had two leaders Che Guevara and Fidel Castro lead a revolution to overthrow the president at that time. Communistic Governments are sometimes also very violent with Russia under Stalin’s regime having a widely agreed millions of deaths on their hands, or North Korea a state the militarily controls its people with a threat of violence if resisted. These are all brutal and violent times or places which the color of red is able to show while also showing an allegiance to government. The color choice Kuczynski uses shows multiple concepts, which is important in understanding a complicated subject matter.  The Color is able to portray these two concepts that are important to establish Kuczynski’s feelings about revolutions and Communism.

Another interesting part about the color in the picture is how the closer the color is to people the whiter it is, while the sky, where the statues are, have a dark deep red. White usually represents pureness and while red is again represents violence and communism. SO why is the white closer to the people? Because, they have pure intentions of having Communist GOvernment. Why else would someone risk their life overthrowing the government? For peace an prosperity to live a better life than before hand. The Statues, which has leaders, is covered in a thick dark red which shows how the leaders have no pure intentions and instead want violence. This helps push Kuczynski’s point of how a revolution and Communism doesn’t work. Even if the people who want the change fight for it with pure intentions, the leaders who are put into power end up ruining the chance at a better life with corrupt violent tendencies that end up hurting people and help themselves rather than helping people and not helping themselves nearly as much.

Secondly, the dirt that the statue is coming out of the ground, this is important because it shows struggle. How so? It is being torn to pieces with rubble still falling off showing how much the people had to fight and struggle in order to get their goal of a new leader or government. Back again to the Cuban Revolution their was a real struggle, with people dying for a new government that will just end up killing its own citizens off. Fidel Castro has many confirmed firing squads used on his own citizens. This struggle is able to work with the colors because of the fact that it is able to show a struggle which can lead to violence and death putting the question out their of is it all worth it? While the flags and banners that stand tall would claim yes, soon the people would truly learn.

Another interesting point that the dirt is able to show is the speed at which leaders are changed. Look at the top of the head of the statue being rotated in; dirt is flying off from its head only something that would happen if the object were to be moving quickly. While yes this will happen when something is falling off, it looks like it is moving quickly, from being pulled from the people. This is able to show how new leaders can be switched out quickly, with another person who is the same, by people if they disagree or are unhappy with how things are going.

Thirdly Kuczynski uses the statues to get his point across with many key points, first being the arm. The arm of the statue is not up in a fist to signify strength together, or equality. No, it is instead held above the people as if the actual person is their controlling people telling them what to do. This is important because it shows how, in Kuczynskis mind, a revolution is useless, because the people are not gaining any freedom. Instead they went through blood shed and violence to ultimately put another tyrant in power that will control the land with no concern for the publics concerns in general.  This is lead into another important aspect of the statues, their similarities.

The statues all look the same and are doing the exact same thing. This is important because it shows how no true replacement is done. Each statue is about the same size, has the same attire, and is performing the same oppressive action with the arm. This is able to portray how no change come in a revolution. Sure someone else is in office or power, but what is changing? The leader is basically the same person. This is Kuczynskis way of showing how Revolutions in his opinion lead to no change and actually end up having the people starting exactly where they started, with an oppressive leader who provides no actual change or evolution in the government.

Another important thing about the statues is what they are connected to, that being a rotational platform. This also aids in showing how replaceable each leader actually is with, them being on a rotation ready to replace that last. This is showing how again a replacement is going to be the same person with little to no change because each statue or leader can be used over and over again. This is another important component that is helping tie Kuczynski’s point home of how bad and useless revolutions and communism are.

Finally the ropes in the picture are very important in portraying the pictures overall meaning. At first glance it looks like the people are getting a new leader, there is just one problem, in communisms everyone is supposed to be equal, yet only five ropes are out. These ropes show how a revolution towards communism benefits a few, while yes the people behind the revolution think they get what they want, only the leaders and figure heads are getting what they want. Again look at the Cuban Revolution. Che Guevara and Fidel Castro were the figureheads of the revolution, and while people might have initially hoped and believed in Castro and communism, soon they would come to regret putting their support forwards. The ropes are able to show how when people are upset they will follow along with truly passionate people, and blind they to what the outcome will actually be and how they themselves will benefit. The people in the front of the group of people are also holding the ropes. Usually the leader is the one to lead and take charge so one can infer that the leaders are the ones handling the ropes. Showing how much the leaders of a revolution are, by deciding how and when a leader is being rotated in and out. It is also important to notice how the people are not destroying, but rather removing the statue, showing how while there is a problem with the government, their needs to be a change in government rather than the government being completely reworked. Allowing people to take advantage of a broken system.

Pawel Kuczynski is able to create and image that challenges current and historical beliefs of revolutions and Communism in a beautiful and thought provoking picture that is able to combine simple elements such as color and character design. He is able to effectively doing this by making such simple ideas as color and design and gives them multiple layers. Kuczynski combies the purity of white with the violent nature of red to the simple and repetitive design of the statues in the picture to show how all Communist leaders are the same when born out of a revolution, and while the general public might have good intentions, the leaders who will gain power do not, so they will take and abuse that power until people try to replace that leader with another person who in actuality is almost the same. 

