Visual communication has the power to persuade the masses and subvert information. ‘Weaponisation’ is a project based on my Extended Essay about the political nature of Western graphic design in the Cold War period. I wrote about how design was used as a weapon of psychological manipulation and how visual culture is inextricably linked to the issues we face in the world. As a visual response, I brought my work into the current political climate of global arms sales. The US is responsible for 43% of the exports of major conventional weapons worldwide, and my project brings to light this often overlooked body of information from The Campaign Against Arms Trade.

By manipulating images of weapons that are currently sold in the global arms trade, and rendering them to look like toys in catalogues; I was able to disguise harmful, dark imagery into the aesthetics of consumerist sales. With motifs of dollar signs and explosions, I highlight the role that Western powers play in wars worldwide. With visual references to 1950’s Pop Art and Indian firework displays, the outcomes for this project were a series of screen prints and digital posters. Reinforcing the idea of disguising weaponry as something to play with, they have a bright, bold visual language.