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THE ARTIST WHO created the iconic image of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara has said that he’s “immensely proud” to have his artwork on an Irish stamp.
Last week, An Post announced that it was launching a stamp to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of Che Guevara’s death with the iconic two-tone artwork by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick.
The commemorative stamp has sparked both sharp criticism and a robust defence of Guevara, who is adored as an icon of freedom and liberty by his supporters, and defined as a violent murderer by his critics.
Speaking on Morning Ireland today, Cuban-American journalist Ninoska Perez said that many Cubans who contacted her radio show on Miami 710 AM were incensed by the “offensive” stamp design.
“I don’t know what’s there to honour about Che Guevara,” she said.
Former Renua leader Lucinda Creighton said that the stamp was “glorifying a terrorist and murderer”.
But Fitzpatrick says that the criticism the stamp is coming under is nothing new, and that he’s ”very proud that there’s an Irish stamp with my artwork on it”.
I think any Irish artist who’s put on his own country’s postage stamp, you swell with pride when you see it.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, he said that the image has caused controversy since it was first created, and that’ he’s almost getting used to it: “I think it’s to be expected from the usual quarters.”
He says that the criticism was “much worse when I first created it than now” but he still doesn’t understand the logic to it.
“If people want to be free, as we’re witnessing in Catalonia, what do you do?”
Incidentally a lot of the criticism [the stamp is] getting is from people like Lucinda Creighton. She was in Fine Gael, started by Michael Collins – who I’m a great admirer of by the way, because he wiped out the Cairo Gang – and that wasn’t done with oranges and potatoes or melons, that was done with bullets.
He said that there are many groups, mostly from the US, who are very anti-Cuba which is part of the reason why there’s so much criticism of Guevara, who fought to overthrow a capitalist US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista with communist Fidel Castro during the 1960s.
I’m an Irish Catholic pacifist. I support liberation theology… [but] sometimes there’s no other way. How do you overthrow the mafia, America and the power structures of Batista? By throwing watermelons at them? I don’t think so.
There’s no easy path to human rights. Sometimes, they have to pick up a gun.
When asked if creating a stamp could be offensive to the families of those who died during the revolution, Fitzpatrick draws parallels between Ireland’s path to independence and the Cuban revolution.
I think there’s victims on all sides in any conflict, and the Cuban civil war which was Castro’s attempt to overthrow Batista, one of the most brutal regimes in Latin America full of rapists and torturers and murderers… In a similar situation, what side do you think I would be on?
He added that he’s a great admirer of Irish revolutionaries, though he didn’t support the actions of the provisional IRA.
“I remember being at Bloody Sunday last March with a friend who had been out of prison. He said ok you’re coming down with your son, his partner and your grandchildren and their grandfather or grandmother, and right in there where they’re going the British troops opened fire on them, and what would you do?”
And I thought, I wouldn’t be a pacifist.
“So it’s easy to be a pacifist in Ireland, where we’ve had enough of physical violence and force, but you can’t apply that across the board, there are people who are severely oppressed even today who have no choices in these matters.”
Fitzpatrick’s Che Guevara poster, based on a photograph by a Cuban photographer, became the iconic image of revolutions around the world. It’s been used by the anti-Vietnam war protests, is the symbol of the since-disbanded FARC militia in Columbia and the Zapitistas of Mexico in their fight for autonomy.
Nelson Mandela once described him as ”an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom”.
It’s also become a common fashion symbol or statement, used on t-shirts, jackets, and posters (mostly because Fitzpatrick kept it copyright-free in order to allow ordinary people to use it liberally). Could the flippant usage of Che’s image without understanding the complexities of his history be the reason for the backlash?
“My next campaign is called Reclaim Che,” he says “and seriously it’s time to take the image back. It’s used on cigarette packs in France for god’s sake, and it’s using my image and my copyright.
“What I do want to do is reclaim the image from the crass commercial interest that absolutely exploited it.
I don’t care about people using it on t-shirts or sticking posters up on a wall that they print out themselves. But big business exploiting this image annoys me intensely.
The Motorcycle Diaries
There’s another criticism levelled at Che Guevara: that he was a racist and homophobic. This is mostly based on extracts from his book The Motorcycle Diaries written by Che Guevara during the 1950s. One extract goes:
“The black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving, which has pursued him as far as this corner of America and drives him to advance himself, even independently of his own individual aspirations.”
Accusations of homophobia stem from the persecution of the gay community by Castro and Guevara during their revolution. Fitzpatrick acknowledges these, but says that they’re not giving the entire picture of Castro’s and Che Guevara’s approach.
“Let me put an end to… the ‘black propaganda’ on Che. That he’s a mass murderer – more people die on American roads than in the entire Cuban revolution. Castro and Che were not in the habit of executing prisoners, they simply captured army people and gave them a choice: they could join the revolution or go home unarmed.”
“And many of them made the choice to join the revolution because of their treatment by Che and by Castro.
That he hated blacks – I mean, he went to the UN and denounced the attacks on civil rights marchers and denounced the American government for its treatment of blacks and Latinos as well.
‘Worth remembering’
Fitzpatrick says that the enemies of Cuba’s revolution wanted Che Guevara to be forgotten. But he’s glad that he could honour a man that he described as “humorous” “gregarious” and “heroic”.
I’m proud that I refused to let him die. He’s well worth remembering.
He says that when people ask for a reason why he should be commemorated, they should look at Cuba having achieved the highest literacy rate in Latin America, and its affordable, accessible medical care.
As an Irish man and as an Irish artist, I’m immensely proud to see my work on an Irish stamp and I really mean that. I’m incredibly grateful to whoever made the decision and I honestly don’t know who made the decision because it’s a government decision.
If I have to thank Enda Kenny, god forbid, but I’ll do it!
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Nice to read the actual artists view on the matter. And it’s a frank and reasoned one at that. Much more so than the faux outrage on display so far….
Good stuff.
@The Risen: “frank and reasoned” is ‘more people die on American roads than in the entire Cuban revolution’, you think? If he had said it was kill or be killed, that would have been frank and reasoned.
@JimmyMc: I would consider the following to be frank and reasoned…
“Incidentally a lot of the criticism [the stamp is] getting is from people like Lucinda Creighton. She was in Fine Gael, started by Michael Collins – who I’m a great admirer of by the way, because he wiped out the Cairo Gang – and that wasn’t done with oranges and potatoes or melons, that was done with bullets.”
“I’m an Irish Catholic pacifist. I support liberation theology… [but] sometimes there’s no other way. How do you overthrow the mafia, America and the power structures of Batista? By throwing watermelons at them? I don’t think so.”
“There’s no easy path to human rights. Sometimes, they have to pick up a gun.”
@The Risen: so some of it was frank and reasoned, and some of it was artistic bladder.
@The Risen:
I absolutely agree.
Jim Fitzpatrick comes off very well.
Have Fine Gael ever acknowledged that Michael Collins fought a war against the British?
@The Risen:
Well said too.
It’s a tiring whinge fest at this point.
The world is full of various bank notes displaying portraits of “mass murders” Nobody cares because it doesn’t directly effect their daily life. The stamp is going ahead. Pissers and moaners that don’t like it don’t have to buy it. End of.
@Tweed Cap: And che does not belong on an irish stamp.
@Clever Jake: Che Guevara was not a hero. He was a murderous tyrant. If you are black, Jewish, gay, or an intellectual, or if you support those who are, confront the bigots who are so insensitive to the atrocities committed by this man that they would show reverence to his image. He deserves scorn, not respect. He was no different than the plantation owners in the south who lynched blacks because they believed they were defending their way of life.
@Ladude:
So write a few emails to your local TD instead of whining about it.
@JimmyMc: Artists are allowed their “artisticbladder” it’s what makes them artists.
It’s ridiculous that the neo-liberal fan boys and girls, those FG/FF poodles, who cannot see the mertit of a superb piece of Irish art on an Irish stamp.
@Tweed Cap: Well what would the comments section be like if nobody commented ? Do you want me to agree with you, would that make you happy
@The Risen: From Creighton and the usual God squad mob, and backwoods men and women the criticism is to be expected. How many innocent people were murdered, tortured, and burnt at the stake by the evil corrupt God squad the RCC. What about the crusades where the Knights Templar slaughtered millions at the command of the RCC head honcho’s. The RCC and its followers always seem to be very selective when condemning Revolutionaries, and society changers, but that does not surprise me as they live in a fairy tale land, of delusion and myths, where their leaders always were reactionary and supported the status quo regardless of its tyranny. They even supported the Nazis and Hitler and were photographed giving the Nazi salute, and the Bishops blessed the Blue Shirts in Dunlaoire as they sailed beneath the Swaztika to Spain to fight for the Dictator Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
@James Doyle: Yeah Islams a tad bit worse than your rcc
@Ladude: People are turning their backs on the torys in britain. because they will never own anything under them only a life of debt. they are terrified of jeremy corbyn.
@Sean Conway: I think Jermy is smart and hes a nice guy. But I think his politics will ruin England, vote him in and we will see what happens.
@Ladude: Course he belongs on an irish stamp, isn’t he a lynch? Another famous son of ireland off fighting for the downtrodden. You politically correct feckers would have any piece of art with a hint of controversy mothballed.
@The Risen: The results of Guevaras actions did not result in freedom or the end of corruption.
His legacy is the death and imprisonment of of thousands of Cubans and their country being run by dictators, where freedom of speech does not exist, where there is a shortage of good, medicine etc. The great free healthcare system is a joke.It doesn’t exist.
It’s a lie perpetrated by The Castros.
the only winners were Fidel and his lackeys who became immensely rich at the expense of the people.
Just another revolutionary failure, where one corrupt system was replaced by an even worse system.
Why was this story such a slow burner? Could it be because our media is sympathetic to the politics of Che & Fidel?
@Tristan Rowntree: after careful consideration: no.
@Tristan Rowntree: yup, cultural marxism. a means to divide and conquer, while weakening the population into subservience. Its perfect if you are in the 1 per cent
@Bairéid Rísteard: you do seem quite weak to be fair
@Tristan Rowntree: No they’re sympathetic to being all up for “rebels” from a safe distance in the leafy suburbs of a social democracy in Europe, where it’s easy to be.
Not so easy for the people in Cubas prisons though.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Greedy capitalism has no soul. homelessness poverty and wage slavery is it’s future for our children.
@Sean Conway: nothing wrong with capitalism per se. It’s corporatism and cronyism that is the problem. The homeless crisis is artificially created by the Irish government by supressing supply in order to benefit. A true free market is exactly what is says on the tin.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Neo-liberalism isn’t doing a bad job of divide and conquer either, and the 1% are very well looked after.
@Bairéid Rísteard: How many times will capitalism fail before people see they are being fooled.
@Ryan Carroll: There are prisons in every country in the world.
@Sean Conway: Will you stop. 1, give 1 example of a successful Marxist state. Capitalism is far from perfect but it sure as almighty fxck better than what your pedaling
@Sean Conway:
Sorry for bursting your bubble by pointing out the obvious, but poverty levels are waaaayyyyy higher in Cuba than they are in Ireland.
Perhaps you’ve never been there and don’t really have much of an idea of what you’re talking about?
@Avina Laaf: They live longer and are ALL educated.
With house prices going the way they are. when is it going to stop. somethings going to burst.
yes. capitalism is unsustainable.
@Wastrel: If only the same courtesy was provided to everyone. Charles Shulz & John Wayne have been posthumously demonized twice as much. And they haven’t even half the bodycount. Or … any.
Big fan of Fitzpatricks art, but its hard to overlook the mindless violence and murder across 2 continents and several countries that Guevara encouraged and committed. Do we give other terrorists a pass because we met them briefly and found them charming?
@Honeybadger197: there’s nothing mindless about revolutionary warfare. Usually it takes a lot of careful planning.
@Wastrel: Sorry, I’d consider arbitrary extra judicial murders to be mindless.
@Honeybadger197: like WT Cosgrave’s extra judicial murders?
@gordon kennedy: I loves me a good deflection of a Monday evening. What you having for dinner anyway?
@Honeybadger197: not deflection, just pointing out that there was a stamp of cosgrave who had men lined up against a wall without the hint of a trial.. what’s the difference?
@Honeybadger197:
arbitrary now as well as mindless? these are nonsensical words to apply to politically motivated killings. Call it an atrocity if you like, it would be more honest.
@Honeybadger197: So you would consider the arbitary murder of Guevara to be mindless?
@Honeybadger197: Guatemala , Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Chilie, Colombia, Bastia in Cuba. You seem very selective on the use of the word murder?. .Think you fail the death squads trained and financed by the U.S. How many hundreds of thousands died in these state sponcered murders. All to protect right wing dictatorship and American business. Viva Che.
@Wastrel: Yep and it always results in total failure and the only winners are the tin pot dictators such as Guevara, Castro etc.
@Donal Desmond: Yeah. We’ve heard it all before. Guevara is still a mindless killer and a total failure.
If they find Che so offensive perhaps we should put pictures of the homeless who perished on our streets on the stamps?
@UilickMcGee: Yes, indeed!
The outraged seem to miss the point that this image is iconic, recognised worldwide and was designed by an Irishman Jim Fitzpatrick. We should acknowledge it!
If the Mona Lisa was the equivalent to Marie Antoinette would we deride Leonardo Da Vinci’s image?
I suspect if anyone should be outraged Che should be!
Outraged to find he is making money for An Post!
@Jarlath Murphy: In fairness there wasn’t much design or artistic endeavour involved. Fitzpatrick just took a famous 1960 photograph by Alberto Korda and made a screen print out of it, copying the style popularised by Andy Warhol. Though I’m sure he does other good work.
The artist tries to defend Guevara on the basis he helped overthrow a right wing dictatorship. However, for those of us, most people, who dont like dictatorships of any variety the installing of a left wing dictatorship means the people are still living under oppressive rule. The tens of thousands of Cubans who risked drowning to get to the USA (the traffic never flowed the other way) is a testament to the failure of Guevara’s communist ideology.
@Liam flag: absolute rubbish. Those leaving in 70, 80, and 90′s were average Jose’s
@Liam flag: Yeah and the results of the great dictatorship are there for all to see. A totally failed health system, imprisonment for the dissenters. no freedom of speech- nothing but an open prison camp where thousands died trying to escape from Castro and his minions.
Did it ever cross your mind as to why refugees fleeing other dictatorships give Cuba a miss?
After all the lefty loonies tell us that it is a socialist paradise.Dream on!
At the end of the day all this faux outrage is from unknown and relatively irrelevant public representatives trying to make a name for themselves with the limited publicity that it’s currently generating.
The posturing from FG and Renua (lol) reps in particular is a perfect example of a double standard. How can they genuinely criticise Guevara but hold the likes of Collins in such high esteem? Fitzpatrick was right to highlight this issue.
Love him or loathe him, the stamp has proven to be hugely successful with the general public.
@Andrew English: Well said. Faux outrage is common online nowadays.
@Liam flag: Change the subject in a typical pathetic attempt to excuse Guevara for the murdering psychopath he was.
At the end of the day, it’s an iconic and historic piece of Irish art.
Celebrate the artist, not the subject.
@Diarmuid: For once i’d agree with you. The fact it is an iconic piece of Irish art is the primary point in the whole issue.
@Dave Doyle: It’s just a screen print of a photograph. It’s the photograph (by Alberto Korda) that’s iconic rather than the art.
I think some people think that the Care Bears created the world they live in. Unless you’ve lived in times of oppression how can anyone judge a person actions. We wouldn’t be in a relatively free country if it wasn’t for men and women fighting back against imperialism and oppression. Some of the garbage written here about che without one single reference. If you think of yourself of some sort of historian please enlighten the rest of us with the books and reference instead of spouting something you saw on YouTube. Or heard whilst putting your washing out on the line.
@David Harvey: Bullshit. The crimes of Guevara are well documented. Amazing how the supporters of dictators live in a state of total denial. Guevara was just another socialist butcher and the Bolivians did a great job in revenge for the innocent Cubans he butchered. The big tough killer pleaded for the Bolivians to spare him. Hahahahaha.
Maybe people are missing the point here. Despite the fact he believed in violence and apparently wasn’t a very nice guy doesn’t in my view have much to do with this issue. It’s history and you can’t change that. What does matter is that the whole world knows this image and very very few people know it was an Irish artist who created it. It all my time outside of Ireland and I have never met a single person who knew who created it. I think that’s what is being corrected here. The image is as well known as the icons of Jesus etc and probably nobody knows who created them either.
Why are you posting a quote from creighton? The people kicked her out. They dont care about her opinion.
Yes, it must be very tiresome when people keep pointing out for 50 years that Che was a homicidal lunatic who would have been quite happy to kill a few hundred million more if it served his ideology. They completely ruin the mood.
No other country in the world pursues and accomodates free market capital as aggressively as Ireland. Despite this reality some people hold on to an outdated ideal that can only be found on a book shelf or a T-shirt.
Thatcher and Regan won. Che lost.
@Joe Caulfield: the summary of an absolute simpleton.
@Joe Caulfield: The wonderful thing about history is that it is unending.
@Joe Caulfield: true….but the only place I’ve seen thatchers face is on a toilet roll and Regans on a B-list cowboy movie poster!
Got to love the hypocrisy of the right. Suddenly they think ideolological revolutions could’ve been done with the exchange of flowers and not blood.
@Guybrush Threepwood: Complaints are not because he was a revolutionary. But because he was Commie revolutionary, who used terrible methods to implement a terrible government.
‘The usual sources’ – I think not. Criticism of this stupid decision is, if not quite universal, is not far off universal which is unusual in this day and age. I voted for Minister Naughten in the last election and I would urge him now to instruct An Post to scrap the lot and see they never go on sale
Donal Hanley
@Donal Hanley: Donal the fg party where founded by terrorists murderers and bank robbers so was ff .Che Guevara did basically the same thing what’s the difference
Going to the post office tomorrow to pick up a book of these stamps. Might be worth something in the future especially if theyre withdrawn.
@Seamus Og: Your capitalist spirit is admirable.
Whatever the critics may moan about or the advocates cheer about… Che’s image is the most recognized face in history, more so than Jesus Christ, Ali or Bart Simpson !
Next coming to AnPost – Mao, Hitler, Stalin and Polpot stamp – wonderful collection of greatest evil of XIXc in Irish art …
@Maciek Sz: or even XXc
@Maciek Sz: Why leave out Churchill and Truman?
@Guybrush Threepwood: It’s not a list of hero’s you fool.
How about a stamp for Stephen Paddock while we’re at it!
@Johnny Maloney: Who? But we could have anyone from our own civil war lol.
Well said Jim.
Carry on.
His full name was Che Guevara Lynch….The name Lynch came from his father’s side of family in Argentina….Which has large Irish emigrant population….The name on stamp should include name Lynch….He may have killed a lot of innocent people but we can still claim him as Irish…..Maybe a bit headstrong….
@John003: He wasn’t Irish. He had Irish ancestry. Not the same thing. Why are so many Irish people obsessed with trying to claim people as Irish who are clearly not?
@John003: His name wasn’t Che at all, that was a “nickname” meaning friend. His first name was Ernesto.
@AR Devine: It’s considered good for the national self-image, and for the ethnic tourism trade supported by the far-flung diaspora.
So why claim him? Cos he has Lynch at the end of his surname? You only claim to be related to a tribe if your are proud of him- not so sure about Che o’ guevera
I’m triggered
Alberto Korda was the original maker of this iconic photo. It would have been nice to see his name being mentioned in the article too — not only the artist who edited it…
Some might argue that many Cuban’s in Florida are descendants of the Cuban mafia ones who use to run Cuba before Fidel Castro came along? So in fact, is anyone surprised???
The Castro dictatorship is far worse than anything under Batista. Juanita Castro,the sister of Fidel and Raoul has said her brothers with the help of Guevara have turned Cuba into a prison for its people. She had to flee to the US in the sixties.
Maybe a tip of the hat to Alberto Korda?? You know, when we mention copyright and exploitation and all that…..
I am proud 2 buy the Stamps ✌
An iconic image that the artist gave to the world, thank you Jim. I also appreciate the right to refuse it’s use by some bodies. I was also inspired by Che and also remember the attempt to use the image of him dead as a trophy, very much like the game hunters that proudly post on social media. Fortunately Jim’s image, (which resulted from a chance meeting at Shannon airport I believe), and his considered response prevail as the true article.
Enormously pleased to see it on an Irish stamp, I’ll certainly be buying mini Che posters
@Harry Moore: Not actually “Jim’s image” at all. It’s a famous 1960 photograph by Alberto Korda. Fitzpatrick just made a screen print out of it, copying the style popularised by Andy Warhol.
Barak obama won the noble peace prize and there wasnt this much of a fuss. Its been pointed out already but wtf its history and unfortunately it cant be changed. Move on to next issue
Disappointed
Don’t we have enough Irish Hero’s to go on our Irish stamps smh
@DeeDee CoCo LuLu:
I nominate my hard working mother
Eileen Corcoran RIP
@DeeDee CoCo LuLu: Che was in Ireland, in Limerick…
In 1969 Mahatma Gandhi appeared on Irish postage stamps. I suppose Jim Fitzpatrick’s painting of Che Guevara is a sort of balancer?
http://www.adverts.ie/stamps/irish-stamp-1969-mahatma-gandhi-mnh/4386889
Lucinda who. Che ?
If you are/were ever oppressed, (whether physically or psychologically), you’ll identify with Chè. if you are/ were always totally free, you won’t.
Rotten piece of work thank heaven’s her whole new party was destroyed by her leadership
Oh no a racist in the 50s
This is Ireland. We are nobody’s in the great scheme of things. Why do we feel it necessary to poke our noses into Cuba, Catalan or Palestine? Could we not just keep ourselves to ourselves and stop this facade? Lord Jasus the locals in those places must be having a right laugh at our expense when they see Our politicians making eejits of themselves in some flag waving stunt.
There are many would see all Irish revolunionarys as terrorists n murderers. Should we knell to their views.
He helped overthrow a dictatorship with an ever more evil dictatorship. Anyone who can’t see that is deluded.
Does the artist get any payment for use of his work?
@lavbeer: No, he never has, he made the image copyright free up until 2011 when he copyrighted it and any proceeds go the the Guevara family in Cuba.
@molly coddled: Fitzpatrick should not receive any payment for it’s use as he stole the image, it’s a 1960 photograph by Alberto Korda.
@Vincent Byrne: It wasn’t theft as Korda was the official photographer of the Castro regime and Castro didn’t believe in individual copyright so disallowed it. Jim Fitzpatrick used Korda’s photo after his death to create an iconic piece of art which he intended its use to promote causes of oppression and resistance, he never accepted any money from it as he felt it would be taking blood money. I may not agree with the politics but the art is striking and I have long been an admirer of Jim Fitzpatrick’s work.
“Fitzpatrick kept it copyright free” because he stole the image himself. It’s a famous photograph by Alberto Korda, taken in 1960. Fitzpatrick just made a screen print out of it in the style popularised by Andy Warhol. The artistic credit should go to Korda.
While researching a quote one of the conservative trolls here posted, I came across this site:
http://metagearsolid.org/2015/01/big-boss-as-che-guevara/4/
It’s a video game site, but gives more historical analysis and accurate information than any conservative site. This shows the sorry state of political debate on the net, where misinformation abounds. No, Che wasn’t a racist who wanted to blow up the world…
He believed in a new man (now a theory popular with the modern left) and believed in fighting for equality. There is still a lot to learn there. (btw… I bought a stamp.)
A sneak preview of some more An Post stamps?
https://twitter.com/Bluebeard67/status/917476734374678529
I fully agree with Lucinda for once. This terrorist should b let rot in hell.
We grew up with che Being our Hero.&Liberator +old joe Kennedy was a Friend of the Dictator Batista.he was a Well known as a Rum Runner.&Che + Castro.But an End to that as well as the Mafia.in Havana etc.
Wolfie Smith loved him…
This is
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