LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 THE IMAGETIC CONSTRUCTION/DECONSTRUCTION PROCESS IN THE 2014 BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL i ELECTIONS Jack Brandãoii Aryana Vicente de Sousaiii ABSTRACT – This article analyzes the RESUMO – O presente artigo pretende imagetic construction/deconstruction of the analisar a construção/desconstrução leading candidates of the presidential elections imagética dos principais candidatos das in 2014, from different media such as weekly eleições presidenciais brasileiras de 2014, a magazines (Veja, Isto É, Época, and Carta partir de diferentes mídias, como revistas Capital), campaign materials and publications semanais (Veja, Isto É, Época e Carta in social networking; as well to analyze how Capital), materiais de campanha e publicações the portraits of the candidates Eduardo de páginas em sites de relacionamentos, bem Campos, Marina Silva, Aécio Neves, and como analisar como foram construídas as Dilma Rousseff were built in these matters. representações dos candidatos Eduardo From these elements, it is sought to verify the Campos, Marina Silva, Aécio Neves e Dilma role of these media in the destabilization of the Rousseff nesse material. Busca-se, a partir fragile relationship between the Brazilian desses elementos, verificar qual foi o papel social classes that would culminate with the dessas mídias na desestabilização da frágil parliamentary coup that occurred with the relação entre as classes sociais brasileiras que impeachment of Dilma Rousseff. culminariam com o golpe parlamentar ocorrido com o impeachment de Dilma KEYWORDS – The 2014 Brazilian elections, Rousseff. image, representation, imagetic construction/deconstruction, political PALAVRAS CHAVE – eleições 2014, propaganda. imagem, representação, construção/ desconstrução imagética, propaganda política. 61 Página LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 Propaganda: building and selling an even the cigarette holder in one hand idea refers to the ephemerality of pleasure. (BRANDÃO, 2010) It is possible that it never crossed Sir John Everett Millais's mind that his work Thus, if any object can be transformed, via Bubbles (fig.1a), whose original title was propaganda, from trivial to object of A Child's World, 1886, in which he desire, the opposite can also be done: for portrayed his seated grandson watching that, the commitment and the work of the soap bubbles, would be employed in one advertisers suffice. We see the work of art of the most successful advertising and publicity as something commonplace campaigns in the nineteenth century, the in our day, but this was not the vision that famous British soap Pears. (TUNGATE, was in the passage from the nineteenth to 2009) the twentieth centuries. That is evident, for example, concerning Millais’ work, The company made it was founded in which had to justify himself several times 1789 by Andreas Pears, whose father-in- for having accepted money for his law, Thomas J. Barrett – a visionary of painting to sell soap. modern advertising – saw in the work of art a perfect image for his new campaign. The Industrial Revolution, rather than Barrett not only bought the painting and providing a technological increase, with a acquired its copyright, but also asked the consequent development in the artist to insert a soap from the company production of goods, also popularized the on the canvas. A perfect marriage was printing industry, expanding not only the born between a work of art and a product newspapers – increasingly accessible and that did not seek to be the same as the cheap – but also the magazines: the image others, but to be the differential. and the word on the job of advertising. Besides, due to this same improvement, The image itself has a great expressiveness, another relationship was established in addition to being full of iconographic between manufactured goods and their elements that were no longer consumer market: the systematic use – systematically used in the period and beginning in first-line products – of the represented a concept very used in the packaging: more than protection and seventeenth century: the vanitas. The genre preservation, a relationship was portrays the beauty and fragility of life and established between the quality of the employs a child and other symbols, which product and the name of the company extends on both sides of the infant. From stamped on it. (TUNGATE, 2009) one it is possible to see a vessel within which a plant grows; on the other, a It is evident that the power of propaganda broken vase, plus two bubbles of soap, was not only restricted to the commercial 62 one of which the boy is contemplating; appeal, but it expanded: its importance Página LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 was also discovered in war efforts when it appeal “not because of the image itself, was used to co-opt volunteers, not only by but because of the words that explain it, the army English (fig. 2), as well as since when they join us, we are forced to American, German, and Italian. believe” (BRANDÃO, 2009, p. 73). Along with the imperious gaze of Lord Years after, in 1917, James Montgomery Kitchener, the British War Minister, and Flagg, the artist who designed Uncle Sam his accusatory finger imputing to those on a similar but more famous poster than young men a responsibility and a sense of Leete’s, said with some dismay: “Some of guilt, which in some way, did not belong us, too old or too fearful to fight, to them. To further enforce this prostituted our talent by creating posters imposition, the Leete’s recruiting poster is that incited a crowd of young people who not only satisfied itself with the power of had done nothing to go there... and get the image, but also with the words that shot. We sold the war for youth”. accompany it. With this union, it becomes (TUNGATE, 2009, 40) complicated to escape from such an Figure 1a Bubbles, John Everett Millais, 1886 63 Página LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 Therefore, truths are constructed several examples taken from Antiquity depending on the moment and the [...]: Alexander the Great to make himself present throughout his vast occasion. It is evident that such empire, caused that his spread statues employment is not restricted to the 19h or throughout his domain [...]; tactic used 20th centuries, but it is much earlier by Octavio Augusto [...]; what were the because: great pyramids, if not the imaginary demonstration of the power – then of The importance of the imagery’s power propaganda – that their future used by propaganda is indeed not the occupants, the pharaohs, had in their fruit of our society [...]. There are lives? (BRANDÃO, 2009, p. 125-126) Figure 1b Advertising from Pears Soap, 1886 In addition to using sumptuous palaces, in conception of grandiosity, not of funerary 64 the mold of the Egyptians in the employment, modern monarchs (fig. 3) Página LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 could not refrain from their imagistic significant, standing or sitting on a construction – in the manner of Alexander throne [...]. The eyes of the portrait are above the eyes of the beholder, to and Octavio Augusto. For this, they used underline his superior position. their iconographic expedients: Etiquette does not allow it to be shown wearing everyday clothes. He wears Most of the King's paintings fit into the armor as a symbol of courage, or genre that art historians call the gorgeous garments, as a sign of high "solemn portrait," built accord to the " social standing, and objects associated rhetoric image" developed during the with power and magnificence – classic Renaissance for the portrayal of columns, velvet curtains, surrounded influential people. In these solemn the king. Posture and expression portraits, the person is usually convey dignity. (BURKE, 1994, p. 31) presented in full size or even more Figure 2 Alfred Leete’s poster, published by London Opinion, 1914 It is possible to see that any object (trivial economic, and technological) can be or artistic), person (high or low social manipulated by the media vehicles of its 65 stratum) or idea (philosophical, religious, time, to attend to diverse interests. Thus Página LUMEN ET VIRTUS REVISTA INTERDISCIPLINAR DE CULTURA E IMAGEM VOL. X Nº 24 MARÇO/2019 ISSN 2177-2789 these images and concepts will permeate presidential elections, one of the most the collective iconophotological collection intense in this period of democratic during a specified period. stability in Brazil. For this purpose, press images will be used, especially from weekly Therefore, this article will address part of magazines, as well as those disseminated the process of by social networks, with or without the construction/deconstruction imagetic of consent of the candidates. the leading candidates of the 2014 Figure 3 Portrait of Louis XVI, Antoine Callet, 1789 It should not be forgotten that the of advertising. It does not sell the approach of politics and communication candidate for what he is or for his has become, in Brazil, inevitable since proposals” (ibidem), but by the image that 1989 with the participation of “advertisers, is built. politicians, and political marketing experts” (GADINI. RODRIGUES, 2008, 66 p. 148). Since, increasingly, “media political propaganda follows the [...] model Página