Black is Beautiful ad

For Black History Month, I chose to add this object to the archive because it's a reminder that words have weight and multiple meanings. The design of this poster includes the word ‘black’ and the multiple uses of it alongside other words that change it's meaning, generally for something more sinister. For example, ‘black magic’ can have a haunting meaning and refer to something that is largely not understood, similarly with the words ‘black market’ and ‘black eye’, which tend to have negative connotations. The changing of a simple word alongside another word that creates a more “threatening” phrase, this poster shows how one word can have so many meanings. The word ‘black’, plainly, may not have a negative connotation, but society and language have altered the meaning of the word over time.

- Eve Sage