Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image (Vintage Original)
by Michael Casey
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael CaseyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-04-07
ISBN: 0307279308
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image (Vintage Original)
Book Review: Something for, and to, Everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
A short time before Michael Casey's "Che's Afterlife" began its print run, The New York Times ran a two-paragraph story noting that global news agency The Associated Press was demanding that artist Shepard Fairey give it "credit and compensation" for his transformation of a 2006 photograph of then presidential candidate Barack Obama into the "ubiquitous" black, red, blue and white image known as the "Hope" poster.
Anyone picking up Casey's wonderfully insightful and compelling biography of an icon - that of the arguably more ubiquitous image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara taken by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda - could easily recognize what is at stake in the skirmish between the AP and the artist. As Casey notes, the Korda image was similarly transformed by a folk artist in 1967, essentially providing the template for the two-tone representation we know today. This flattened, easily-reproduced image has become, Casey asserts, "the quintessential postmodern icon - anything to anyone and everything to everyone." That his book should be published hard on the heels of the emergence of the Hope poster is a bit of sublime synchronicity that makes his book all the more immediate and relevant to readers today.
As a photographer and former public relations manager, it was easy to agree with Casey's observations as to the power of imagery, particularly in today's world, and the importance of managing the meaning behind an image. In recent weeks, I've come across stories in The New York Times and in American Airlines' in-flight magazine sternly warning readers - who are presumably job security conscious in these fraught times - about the importance of creating, promoting and protecting their own image, especially through social media such as LinkedIn, MySpace, and Facebook.
Casey's tale is also a cautionary tale. It notes that, as purely public domain, the Korda image of Che has come to be owned by us all, with little regard for what Guevara actually believed and fought for. Casey naturally weaves the story of Che's brief life throughout his work, succinctly revealing the icon's evolution away from the reality of the man. He also traces the absurd path of the Korda image from forgotten snapshot to global icon in a style that strongly reminds me of Mark Kurlansky's similarly quirky but wonderfully readable "1968", as well as Malcolm Gladwell's groundbreaking "The Tipping Point," which is aptly quoted in Che's Afterlife in examining the icon's remarkable ascendance in global consciousness.
Much like Kurlansky, Casey has produced a book with compelling relevance. He correctly writes that political leaders of any stripe now must become adept at branding and image-making (and I would add risk mitigation and brand protection) to succeed in an information-driven capitalist society. Much like the soda sellers and T-shirt makers of whom he writes, Casey has himself found a use for Korda's Che image, a tightly-written and fun exploration of our affinity for heroes and the scant heed we sometimes pay to the reality behind the imagery.
Summary of Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image (Vintage Original)
In 1960, Cuban photographer Alberto Korda captured fabled revolutionary Ernesto ?Che? Guevara in what has become history's most reproduced photo. Now Michael Casey tells the remarkable story of this image, detailing its evolution from a casual snapshot to an omnipresent graphic?plastered on everything from T-shirts to vodka to condoms?and into a copyrighted brand. As Casey follows it across the Americas and through cyberspace, he finds governments exploiting it and their dissenters attacking it, merchants selling it and tourists buying it. We see how this image is, ultimately, a mercurial icon that still ignites passion?and a reflection of how we view ourselves.History Books
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