Catalogue Number
NMLH.2023.96
Object Name
Poster
Title
Praise of Learning
Place
Zimbabwe
People
Bertold Brecht
Date
1972-1982
Description
The Poster Collective was a collective formed in 1971 at the Slade School of Art,  a group formed to initially produce posters in response to the miners strike and on the wars in both Vietnam and Ireland. It was formed on the basis of developing a coherent visual style, which addressed the political issues of the time. This included the armed struggles against colonialism in Africa, the struggle of women for equal rights and the continuing struggle against racism. The collective was active in the 70's and 80's, producing posters on a wide range of issues, including for educational purposes. The group was not-for-profit and used a variety of hand-printing techniques to create their posters. Large green and white poster. There are photographs on the side of the poster, as well as a large picture of a boy above a body of text. The photographs are unlabelled, but research suggests the photographs may be of people in Zimbabwe. The text on this poster is by Bertold Brecht, and is called
'Praise of Learning.' This poster is anti-imperialist and is about African Liberation. The poster reads: " earn the simplest things! For you whose time has come, it is never too late! Learn your ABC, it is not enough, but learn it! Do not let it discourage you, begin!You must know everything! You must take over the leadership! Learn, man in the asylum! Learn, man in prison! Learn, wife in the kitchen! Learn, man of sixty! Seek out the school, you who are homeless!
Sharpen your wits, you who shiver! Hungry man, reach for the book: It is a weapon. You must take over the leadership! Donât be afraid of asking, brother!Donât be won over, See for yourself! What you donât know yourself, you donât know. Add up the reckoning. Itâs you who must pay it. Put your finger on each item. ask how did it get here?You must take over the leadership! ."
