Bad Dictator - Good Dictator

In order to facilitate the expansion of global capitalism, the superpower championing the dollar and the "free market" must harden its hegemonic influence overseas. To carry out this humanist endeavor, said State of exception needs tough men in strategic regions of the world who are "reasonable" about Washington's interests and — above all else — about its overseers on Wall Street.

If those frightful figures hold a different view on the sovereignty of the people and on commitment to their own citizens — for instance, through income-redistribution policies and other socialist atrocities — the great planetary hegemon begins to voice "concern" about democracy, freedom of expression, and the protection of human rights in those distant countries that are now suddenly at the mercy of their respective «tyrants».

Conversely, when more "liberal" leaders cooperate with the inevitable march of globalist modernizing progress, no atrocity committed is even worth a mention by the propaganda apparatus of the "free world." That is, the sacrosanct "international" press.

It is here that we can observe the two faces of the «good dictator» and the «bad dictator».

Dominatrix

The following is a series of posters based on synthetic images generated with MidJourney from prompts such as the following: "An anime-style illustration, exoskeleton human, black and red elements, gorgeous appearance and mechanical parts, bringing weird imagination, red background, detailed depiction, anime style, comic style, ultra-high definition resolution" (guitohd0723).

In this exercise we are reimagining the purpose of the illustrations by crafting a hypothetical campaign for a company offering virtual girlfriend services called "Dominatrix". This kind of service is not new. There are already several platforms offering it through their respective apps.

The idea here is to rethink what an intimate relationship with such a "girlfriend" would actually look like in physical reality — one that, despite anything you might expect, remains — obviously — a robot. Despite their suggestive figures, any prudent observer would think twice before being seduced by these hypersexualized creatures of tungsten, carbon fiber, and silicone.

Enjoy ¡or Else!

When World War II (WWII) ended, the great beneficiary of such massive destruction suddenly found itself the undisputed owner of half the planet's wealth.* The time had come to "democratize" the rest of the world on the ideological basis of the free market — that modern philosophy of classical liberalism that allows for the unquestioned global export of the many benefits offered by mass consumer culture.

Those backward and obstinate regimes that fail to grasp the advantages of this global business can always be persuaded with other export products. The latter, dropped from some convenient bomber or something of the sort.

*Chomsky, N. (2003) p. 80. Hegemony or survival: America's quest for global dominance. Macmillan.

Allianz Insurance

For the following exercise we decided to do reverse creative work. It actually seemed more effective to begin at random — with an image from "The War of the Worlds" — and then deduce the advertised object. In this case, it follows that such object — corresponding to the chosen artwork — is an insurance company. Specifically, one that offers policies for disasters, catastrophes, and similar tragedies.

The usual procedure is, of course, the inverse. You start with the communication message (the "what" to communicate) and then develop the creative work (the "how" to communicate it).

In the case at hand: if, for instance, the main benefit of the offer is that the payment of disaster premiums is guaranteed, we then wonder: what would be the «impossible» cases in which the advertised offer simply wouldn't apply? (assuming everything else is included). We enter here the imaginative realm of horror and science-fiction cinema.

Datavision

The following is a selection of work from my most recent job. These projects involved tackling challenges typical of companies that resell software and hardware on behalf of large technology multinationals — in this case, Microsoft.

Beyond their own brand and that of the aforementioned tech giant, the materials had to be adapted to the visual identity of the many accounts the company keeps in its client portfolio. Clients who are themselves large Mexican companies, as well as Mexican companies with foreign capital.

Due to their nature as «internal communication» and «private campaigns» — the latter intended for exclusive distribution via direct emails and other electronic channels — it is not possible to publicly display the materials in question. The work, however, can be shown in person provided the protection of rights arising from "trade secrets," as set out in Mexican law, is respected.

Land of the Free

Barely 200 years ago — a blink on the scale of human history — Alexis de Tocqueville acknowledged, in "Democracy in America" (1805-1859 [1911]), that the United States was a country with a "government that follows the will of its people" (p. 245). This recognition, which held up for at least a century and a half, earned that nation the nickname "[the] Land of the Free."

Starting in the 1980s — the era of global neoliberalism — and with the consolidation of a powerful capitalist class more aware of the "true place" the working class ought to occupy, when we speak of a «government that follows the will of the people», the very notion of "the people" has undergone a few small transformations. Today, by «people» we should understand those members of the billionaire class capable of paying for their citizen status and, therefore, capable of imposing their important priorities over the trivial interests of the populace.

Any expression of discontent arising from this «populace» that displeases economic power will inevitably meet riot squads equipped with military-grade weaponry. These brave and well-paid officers will always be ready to give a fine lesson on freedom of expression and human rights to the "citizens" of the land of the free: "[the] Land of the Free."