Strange Coincidence But...

There's a new book out, an anthology of Uri Tzvi Greenberg's poems. 610 pages.

Here's the cover:-




Maybe it's just me but what does the letter 'tzadi' (צ) remind you of?

David Tartkower is the cover designer. And who is he?

Well, he happens to be one the more outstanding radical left-wing graphic artists in Israel.

He has established a reputation for a series of politically provocative self-produced posters, some at the time of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year). His compositions are driven more by content or themes than by high aesthetics.

Or this:-

What is your greatest professional achievement? The design of the logo for the Israeli peace movement "Peace Now," in 1978. Since then, it has become an icon.

Do you have a favorite cause you like to work on? In the '80s I began to initiate, design and produce personal posters dealing with my society and its politics. I relate mainly to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its effect on Israeli society.

And:-

Do you have a favorite cause you like to work on? In the '80s I began to initiate, design and produce personal posters dealing with my society and its politics. I relate mainly to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its effect on Israeli society.

Now, I know that people will say that this font was used by Uriz Tzvi himself, in 'Aima G'dola v'Yareiach' (An Awful Fear and the Moon). Possibly. However, that was in the early 1920s. To reuse it now, after the Holocaust, is playing fast with people's memories and impressions. I doubt if Uri Tzvi would now use that font. Of all the fonts that Uri Tzvi used, Tartkower purposefully slected this because to him it suggested a swastika.

This is subliminal propaganda.

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UPDATE

Okay, I've scanned the original logo that Uri Tzvi created for his 1925 book,
אימה גדולה וירח,
and here it is:-



You'll notice that all the letters are equal in size. The 'tzadi' is not emphasized and therefore, is less noticeable.

The way Tartkower has redone it is to draw your attention to it especially as it sits right smack in the middle. You can't miss it and moreso, he's turned it slightly to the left drawing you to make the swastika comparison.

Look again -




Left, in this case, is evil.