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Communism(s): A Cold War Album — Blind Magazine

Autocracy is on the rise. An obvious statement maybe, but one rooted more and more firmly in the present albeit with a shaky-hand salute to the past. From Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan, through Napoleon, Stalin, and Hitler, and more recently, Hussein, Assad, and Orban, autocratic rule has caught fire and threatens the order of sovereign nations across the globe. Add to that a troubling set of indicators in the volatility presently in the US political system, and it’s clear that autocracy has never left.

Upon first viewing of the classic, black-and-white, observe-and-capture images in Grace’s book, one familiar element is the public displays of larger-than-life portraits dotting the bland concreteness of the cities Grace traveled through. Stern visages of elected officials and members of the various politburos who maintained the status quo of communism overlaid on society created a sense of menace, as if Big Brother was watching everyone’s every move.