Rafael Farias
University College for the Creative Arts
Explanation of work
My design communicates the idea of America’s ‘humanitarian aid’ acting as a Trojan Horse for its own monetary gain, exploiting disaster-shocked people and countries in times of war and crisis. The American Red Cross represents aid, suggesting that Klein’s book itself is a form of humanitarian aid. The cross is slightly raised, resembling that of the Bible. This represents the doctrine of disaster capitalism. The die-cut cross reveals the red $100 notes that litter the inside cover – the ‘blood’ money of disaster capitalism. The cover can be drawn out to reveal the truth concealed behind the Red Cross façade.
The minimal, clinical aesthetic of the cover reflects the surgical execution of shock tactics and their roots in psychiatry. It is influenced by Germano Facetti’s grid structures and also by David Pearson’s Great Ideas series.
