Visual Analysis of Images Surrounding Edward Snowden

Careful study and interpretation of the artwork and images that have arisen as a response to the Edward Snowden revelations regarding invasive and pervasive government surveillance in the United States demonstrate the variety of different ways in which the issue has been discussed and interpreted in American and international society. Some of the images that have been created to illuminate the issue portray Snowden as a revolutionary figure, whose actions are to be construed as a blow against American imperialism and hegemony, while others depict Snowden as an example of American patriotism and the embodiment of the values the nation was founded upon. The dichotomy between these interpretations highlights the myriad implications of the information publicized by Snowden, and the divisiveness of the interpretation of these actions, even amongst those who support his decisions and process. A detailed analysis of the visual imagery that has resulted from the discussion of Snowden’s actions helps root the issue in the cultural context of the United States and the world at large, and examine how differently his actions have been construed across the political landscape.

To adequately examine the stark contrast in visual depictions of Edward Snowden, it is important to first briefly note exactly what he has done and what issues he has brought to light in contemporary American politics. As Judy Woodruff states, Snowden was a former contractor employed by the National Security Agency who “unleashed a flood of leaked material, documenting surveillance of everything from phone calls to Web searches to e-mail.” These revelations uncovered a previously unacknowledged and shocking level of government surveillance of both American and international citizens, provoking a widespread outcry against the policy both domestically and internationally and sparking a serious discussion of the role of the surveillance state in modern society. These dramatic revelations have also led to the emergence of a variety of fascinating images and works of art depicting Snowden, which are worthy of careful consideration and analysis.

One of the most striking images that illuminates the possible interpretations of Edward Snowden’s actions was published in The Guardian by Jonathan Jones (see figure 1). The artwork is a reworking of the classic image of Che Guevara, with Edward Snowden’s distinctive face under Che’s signature beret. The image portrays Snowden as the revolutionary embodiment of the political ideals of the early 21st century and clearly attempts to depict him as a subversive and radical figure who has struck a devastating blow against American cultural and political imperialism. This interpretation of Snowden’s actions is a popular one, and it in many ways demonstrates both what has been both admired and criticized in regard to his actions. The striking image also vividly illustrates Snowden’s important emergence as a pop-culture political figure who symbolizes revolutionary discontent with the status quo.

(Figure 1 omitted from preview. Available via download)

The Snowden as Guevara image speaks to the more radical and rebellious interpretations of Snowden’s actions. As Jones states in the article that reveals the image, Snowden’s unassuming appearance “has not discouraged entrepreneurs in Russia and China from bidding for the rights to put the elusive whistleblower's face on T-shirts and posters. They appear to think his bespectacled, serious visage can become the Guevaresque image of subversion for our time.” Clearly, these images seek to emphasize the anti-American and insurgent implications of Snowden’s revelations, portraying him as a hero in the fight against the unimaginable power of the surveillance state. They also seek to depict him as an icon of popular culture, rather than a mere political figure. This popularized imagery has even been co-opted by Snowden himself.

Many of Snowden’s recent actions seem to reflect his desire to transcend traditional political discussion and emerge as a more universal cultural figure, especially by speaking through platforms not usually associated with purely political discussion. This is exemplified by the recent revelations that, according to Josh Rubin, “fugitive National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has joined the speakers' roster at this year's South by Southwest Interactive Festival. Snowden, who fled the United States in June with thousands of top-secret documents, will appear via teleconference Monday from Russia for a discussion about how the tech community must defend itself against mass surveillance.” The fact that Snowden has begun to speak out through festivals like South by Southwest, which is traditionally thought of as a pop-culture event centered around music and film, illustrates his emergence as a cultural embodiment of revolutionary principles. Snowden has quite clearly come to symbolize a revolutionary discontent with American politics that goes beyond the sphere of political debate into the realm of a cultural icon who embodies the principles of defiance and rebellion, as echoed in the image of his face over Guevara’s. However, this is far from the only available interpretation of Snowden’s actions seen in the imagery surrounding his important political revelations.

Another iconic image that has resulted from Snowden’s revelations is in many ways diametrically opposed to the Guevara figure previously discussed. In The Austin Chronicle an image by Jason Stout appeared of Edward Snowden’s face over a revolutionary war figure, carrying an American flag and a musket, in tones of red white, and blue (see figure 2). This image portrays Snowden as the embodiment of American political ideals and a defender of the constitutional principles the nation was founded upon rather than as a radical or subversive figure. Instead of the inherent anti-Americanism of the Che Guevara image, we get Snowden as an American hero working to protect the Bill of Rights and the legacy of the founding fathers. For obvious reasons, this is the image of Snowden that many of his most prominent American supporters, and even Snowden himself, conjure when discussing the consequences and inspiration of his actions.

(Figure 2 omitted from preview. Available via download)

Despite actions that have in some ways embraced the more revolutionary and subversive aspects of his persona, it is quite clear that Snowden himself believes he had a patriotic duty to the American people to expose the widespread surveillance on the American public perpetrated by the National Security Agency. As Max Fisher states, “Leaks of the NSA's surveillance programs by Snowden, which the Obama administration has at times portrayed as traitorous, were actually, in Snowden's telling, acts of patriotic loyalty -- something that he suggests administration officials can't see because they themselves have lost that sense of loyalty.” Snowden’s explanation of his actions as a patriotic attempt to reform a system that had spiraled beyond its constitutional purview is diametrically opposed to Jones’s more radical image of Snowden as a Guevara-like figure, and much more in keeping with Stout’s image of Snowden as a revolutionary war hero. We also see the reflection of Stout’s image of Snowden as a patriotic figure in the rhetoric from many of his most dedicated defenders.

A large portion of those within the United States who support Snowden’s actions has used the arguments symbolized by Stout’s patriotic image. As Anthony D. Romero, the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, states—“Edward Snowden is a patriot. As a whistleblower of illegal government activity that was sanctioned and kept secret by the legislative executive, and judicial branches of government for years, he undertook great personal risk for the public good.” Clearly, many of those who have embraced Snowden as a reformer and advocate of justice have supported the viewpoint embodied by Stout’s image of Snowden as a patriotic force for good. Interestingly, this seems to be the predominant viewpoint amongst Snowden supporters within the United States, while the international community seems to have rallied around the image of Snowden as a more inherently revolutionary figure.

A complete discussion of the divergent imagery related to Edward Snowden needs to carefully examine why certain visual interpretations have become more popular in some locations than in others. Quite clearly, as indicated in the earlier analysis, the image of Snowden as a Guevara-styled revolutionary figure is more popular in the international community, with the image originating in a European newspaper and becoming popular throughout Russia and China. On the other hand, the imagery of Snowden as a literally red, white, and blue embodiment of American jingoism has become extremely popular with Snowden supporters throughout the United States, as the comments from his most fervent domestic supporters demonstrate. The contrast between the international and domestic depiction of images illustrating Snowden demonstrates the wide number of possible ways to reasonably interpret his actions, and how geopolitical orientation influences these conceptions. The truth may lie somewhere between the international conception of Snowden as an anti-American crusader, and the domestic perception of Snowden as a patriotic hero.

The contrast between popular depictions of Snowden as either a figure striving to fight against American political hegemony or as a heroic defender of the American way of life illustrate the number of divergent opinions regarding the implications of Snowden’s actions, even amongst those who support his political ideology and activism. Jones’s image of Snowden as a modern-day Che Guevara emphasizes the inherently revolutionary and anti-imperialist elements of Snowden’s actions, and is reflective of the perception in much of the international community, while Stout’s image of Snowden as a patriotic war hero carrying an American flag exemplifies the viewpoint of many of his most ardent domestic supporters. The resonance of both images illustrates the divide between American and international perception of Snowden’s actions, as well as the undeniably complex nature of the implications of Snowden’s revelations. What has largely been viewed on a domestic level as a valiant effort to protect the principles most valued by American law and society has also been viewed on an international level as a celebrated blow against the American dominance in the geopolitical arena. Only time will tell which of these implications proves to be correct, but what is certain is that Snowden’s actions have irreversibly and profoundly affected the future of the United States and the international community as a whole.

Works Cited

Fisher, Max. "Edward Snowden, American Nationalist." The Washington Post. 24 Dec. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/12/24/edward-snowden-american-nationalist/?wprss=rss_blogpost&clsrd.

Jones, Jonathan. "Edward Snowden: 21st-century revolutionary icon?." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/aug/20/edward-snowden-21st-century-revolutionary-icon

Romero, Anthony D.. "Edward Snowden is a Patriot." American Civil Liberties Union. 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. .https://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/edward-snowden-patriot.

Rubin, Josh. "Fugitive and Whistleblower Edward Snowden to Speak from Russia at SXSW." CNN. Cable News Network, 5 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/us/sxsw-edward-snowden-speaker/.

Stout, Jason. "Letters at 3AM: The Patriot Edward Snowden." The Austin Chronicle. 28 June 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. http://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2013-06-28/letters-at-3am-the-patriot-edward-snowden/.

Woodruff, Judy . "Looking Back at the Snowden Leaks That Sparked U.S. Surveillance Revelations." PBS. PBS, 26 Dec. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/government_programs-july-dec13-surveillance1_12-26/.