People may view postage stamps and may be knowledgeable as to what they represent and signify, beyond their aesthetic side; however, many of the stamps may represent more than that. In the article by Jack Child, the postage stamps’ role can be identified as the representation for “advertisement or propaganda with themes relating to nationalism, history, politics, economics, art, cultural identity, and popular culture…” Since the postage stamps are confined to a small space to present aesthetics, representations, and meanings, much thinking process is put to the effort to generate what ‘truly’ represents the communities’ popular culture. Therefore, Child describes how popular culture can be defined and how the meaning of popular culture should be not be restricted only to the ‘mass’ or the ‘people,’ rather “th[e] broad definition also can be extended to include a multitude of aspects of daily life among the majority of the population, that is, the things that ordinary people do for pleasure and to enrich their existence. Popular culture becomes, then, a mirror by which societies can grasp and perceive the entertainment, pastimes, pleasures and activities of everyday life which collectively contribute it the national identity of a people.” (Child, p.111,2004) This is very important in a way to see popular culture as not only within the realms of certain groups of people ( like folk, mass, or high), but a possible collective representation of the nation as a whole.
The production of these stamps, mostly controlled by the government, is not only an action of printing a small stamp with colours and images, but also an action of summarizing and condensing portrayals of culture on small stamps to share with the communities. The stamp signifies particular meanings, and also can represent a culture, history, politic, and the popular culture; interestingly, the article relates the semiotics aspect of the postage stamps with factors such as politics, economics, and international relations. The semiotic messages that a postage stamp are identified as the following: first is the self referential which means it should be easily identified as post stamps, stamps should include the “identification of the country of origin,” and finally, the artistic and design aspect of postage stamps also influence the texture to give deeper meaning to the stamps. We are informed that these stamps provide aesthetic, cultural, and social representations of nations. The understanding of semiotics of postage stamps may be crucial to be discussed: semiotics, which is the study of signs and the messages they contain, definitely relates to how the postage stamps represent certain occasions. As examples shown in the article by Child, especially the figure 4, the stamp honouring Che Guevara in 1997 Argentina, shows not only the face of a Latin American revolutionary, guerrilla leader, military theorist, and an Argentinian citizen, but also by painting the iconic Che with the hat, the stamp may also presents historical glimpses of what Mr. Guevara stood for and fought for. The design of Che Guevara stamp, a clear portrait of the public figure filling the postage stamp, has the strong symbolism of what his idea represents and how important the person person was to the community. The article had much deeper analyses on the postage stamps, as small, but powerful icons of popular culture; in relations to politics, philosophy in identification of good citizenship, national representation, economics, and their role in the stage of international relations, the postage stamps are more than interesting to study for their extensive approach to share “what a given nation or culture thinks is of value.” (Child, p.136, 2004) The fact that these stamps can be acquired quite inexpensively and represent Latin American themes from the point of view of the governments and the public, the understanding and the use of postage stamps, if possible, should be widely shared, and hopefully, comprehend the complexity and the intimacy of the smallest icon of popular culture: Latin American Postage Stamps.
Question for the class: In today’s society, what can be considered something like the postage stamps that may represent particular cultures in a small platform? I believe the development in technology and online platforms offer people to represent their culture in their own unique way; social media platforms provide individuals with the freedom of expression which can very much be the culture of that person. Would the presentation of oneself in the online world be the modern day form of cultural expression? (less expensive, efficient, able to be shared throughout the world instantly, high resolution video recording and photos on the phones may provide clear images of one’s expression..) Much to think about as it comes to popular culture; personally, there is no single definition of popular culture, rather it is a collection of ideas, thoughts, and actions by unique individuals and groups that may be commonly understood and practiced among ‘people.’ I believe that this concept may always be open to changes as the time goes by, and truthfully, it is constantly changing as we speak. Something to think about…