Politics x Art

[sleepboy]

Don't think there is a thread on this but it might be an interesting subject with the overwhelming support it seems for Obama from the art world. Has this happened with other elections? How come I have only noticed it now?

Here an idea that David Choe is working on. He noticed that the texas/florida profile on the map fit obama's hairline LOL.

[commandax]

Don't think there is a thread on this but it might be an interesting subject with the overwhelming support it seems for Obama from the art world. Has this happened with other elections? How come I have only noticed it now?

Well, since no one else has bit on this topic, I guess I'll throw in my two cents. Just remember that you asked for it.

I don't think this ever has happened – at least to this degree – in other elections. That it's happening now is partly attributable to the fact that we're in a unique era where street art has become high-profile enough that artists can act as their own advertising agencies, bankrolling and getting up "billboards" that counteract the prevailing corporate message. In my opinion, it's also because the vast majority of artists are what the Right Wing once called "Dirty F---ing Hippies" or "Wild-Eyed Pinko Radicals™." A good artist almost has to be liberal, because making good art requires empathy. To create meaningful work, an artist must be able to both see and reflect the human soul – and once you can feel the suffering of your fellow man, it's pretty hard to go forward with the Right's philosophy of "Every Man for Himself" and "Whoever Gets the Most, Wins."

So, given the prevailing leanings of artists, and given the depths to which the Neo-Cons have plunged this country in recent years, and given the unprecedented nature of the Democratic candidate, the art world is staging a little impromptu takeback. They're taking all that they learned in art school (and on the streets) about advertising and propaganda, and using it to change the way people think about the upcoming election. It's politics at the street level, where real people who wouldn't ordinarily notice or care about an official campaign advertisement will see some street art and register that something different's going on... that this candidate is reaching out to them on a different level, one they can relate to. Even more importantly, these artists are showing that this candidate is inspiring, that his message is so different from the usual political nonsense that it causes people to spontaneously create humorous, colorful and passionate art about him... not because they're being paid, but because they are hoping that this country can one day live up to its potential. Inspiration has been a commodity in short supply in American politics for the last 40 years – since the assassination of MLK and RFK in 1968 – so seeing these hopeful images on the street is a powerful shock to a demoralized, apathetic populace.

This is a watershed moment in history, when there is a unique opportunity to prevent the country from sliding deeper into the nightmare of Orwell's 1984, so artists are using all the resources they have at their disposal, just as hundreds of thousands of volunteers have given their time and over a million people have donated their money. If you look at the statistics on volunteering and donation to Obama's campaign, you'll see that they're just as unprecedented as is his support from the art world. Americans are scared that the U.S. is becoming a totalitarian state, and they're spontaneously joining together in an effort to restore the values the country was founded to uphold.

Anyhow, that's my opinion.

[ruud035nl]

I can see the 1984 analogy here in Holland as well. Conservative and religious fanatics are running my country right now (even though they only got about 5% of the votes they are very influencial in the coalition). You wouldn't believe how much of our freedom is already being labelled illegal by these people. Some politicain (social democrats) were supporting a gay pride in Amsterdam this weekend, and being flamed for this by those Religious fanatics. Sad to see al this happening.

Support the artist that speak up!

[StephenW]

Definitely not an Obama fan, but found this interesting...

www.manifesthope.com/

Manifest Art Gallery, a partnership between Move On, Shepard Fairey, and Upper Playground, will open with pro-Obama art work from August 24-28 at Denver's Democratic Convention.





MoveOn.org has partnered with Shepard Fairey and Obey Giant to create the Manifest Hope Online Gallery Art Contest. To read more about the contest: pol.moveon.org/mh/enter/index.html

Judging Panel
* Shepard Fairey — Artist
* Ross Bleckner — Artist
* April Gornik — Artist
* Eric Fischl — Artist
* Nancy Spector — Author and Solomon R. Guggenheim Curator of Contemporary Art
* Cydney Payton — Executive Director and Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver
* Thurston Moore — Musician, Artist, Author
* Moby — Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Activist
* DJ Spooky — Artist, Writer, Musician
* Laura Dawn — Artist, MoveOn.org Creative & Cultural Director

[sleepboy]

Yes I think that most of the art we have been seeing is pro-obama or anti-bush like these.




I think you are right commandax, I have been feeling it more and more... This does seem like an important time in history. This country seems to be spiraling down into oblivion. There seems to be more interest in the political process among the younger people now more than in the recent past. Problem is that I've always been pro-republican due to tax issues but perhaps if this pro war and oil dependence isn't ended soon, taxes will go up no matter what. Hopefully Obama is up the task cuz it seems like it's heading that way. LOL....but don't want this thread to get too "political" I guess since it's about art first and politics second.

[commandax]

Problem is that I've always been pro-republican due to tax issues but perhaps if this pro war and oil dependence isn't ended soon, taxes will go up no matter what.

You're right. Bush inherited a surplus and is leaving office with a record deficit that doesn't even take into account the trillion dollars he'll have spent on blitzing people who didn't attack us by the time he leaves... and someone will have to pay for that, someday. I'm guessing it will be us. The Republicans will once again push the burden of paying for their bad economic policies onto a Democratic administration, which will start that broken record about "tax and spend liberals" up all over again.

When you come right down to it, our taxes are pretty damn low compared to some countries in Europe, which I guess is appropriate since in comparison, we get damn little in return for paying them. I believe that if raising taxes to get some important public projects underway will benefit the economy and get us out from under the thumb of big oil and whatnot, we'll all be better off in the long run, even if each of us has to shell out a couple extra percentage points in order to get there.

Personally, I'm doing my part for the economy by spreading my extra cash around the art community instead of stuffing it into a money market fund. I guess I can consider it my patriotic duty.

[lowpro]

Looks like the Choe painting was given the print treatment by Upper Playground.

artchival.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=inventory&action=display&thread=683

[sleepboy]

Aug 20, 2008 22:00:01 GMT -8 lowpro said:

Looks like the Choe painting was given the print treatment by Upper Playground.

artchival.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=inventory&action=display&thread=683

Thanks. I picked one up earlier but missed the other one. This was posted in the David Choe thread as well.

Here's another piece I saw (not from Choe...obviously)

[lowpro]

Darn...Oh well...Sorry...I guess I tend to ignore the Street Art section.

[sleepboy]

Nice video of pieces from Manifest Hope

[junkyardsam]

Just imagine if this whole thing had gone the other way, and lowbrow artists were painting such pictures of John McCain. Like imagine pro-McCain Sheperd Fairey prints... it would feel so wrong!

[sleepboy]

[sleepboy]

[lowpro]

Looks like someone's cashing in while Obama is still in contention and before the Republicans somehow rig it again and he ends up losing. Might very well be a smart financial move, and should be interesting to see if someone bites at his $12,000 asking price. Ha.

cgi.ebay.com/Huge-Obama-Set-Shepard-Fariey-Obey-Giant-Print-Poster_W0QQitemZ220278859642QQihZ012QQcategoryZ360QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[commandax]

Here's a little Obama love I saw a couple of months ago on Washington Blvd. in L.A.:



And while I'm on the subject, I've spoken to a couple of forum members lately who've been under the impression that Obama would raise their taxes... which actually isn't true unless you're in the lucky $250K+ income category. So I thought I'd post this for those I was talking to (you know who you are) anyone else who still has doubts on that front. (Sorry it's off topic! Don't hit me.)



Little-known fact: Barack Obama will cut the taxes of most Americans more than John McCain.

Calculate your Obama Tax Cut here:
alchemytoday.com/obamataxcut/

Here's more from Business Week on "Obama vs. McCain: Taxing and Spending":
www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2008/db20080611_220050.htm

[benvan]

Thanks for that, it's always been an unfair stereotype to the Dem's

[sleepboy]

Sept 9, 2008 14:44:13 GMT -8 commandax said:

Here's a little Obama love I saw a couple of months ago on Washington Blvd. in L.A.:



And while I'm on the subject, I've spoken to a couple of forum members lately who've been under the impression that Obama would raise their taxes... which actually isn't true unless you're in the lucky $250K+ income category. So I thought I'd post this for those I was talking to (you know who you are) anyone else who still has doubts on that front. (Sorry it's off topic! Don't hit me.)



Little-known fact: Barack Obama will cut the taxes of most Americans more than John McCain.

Calculate your Obama Tax Cut here:
alchemytoday.com/obamataxcut/

I like that image. Thanks for posting the comparisons in taxes as well.

[marcusslo]

i will vote for the muslim then

[sleepboy]

[richardtharbaugh]

Not sure if anyone here wants a super low cost alternative stickery type version of the Obama Progress images by Shepard Fairey - but - you can get some pretty massive stickers here for 5 bucks while they last.

www.stickerobot.com/obama/progress.php

[thecreep]

Here's a cool one from and artist I saw on Etsy. Not the most unqiue, design wise, but made me laugh right when I saw it. Cheap too.



www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16097566

[commandax]

MC Yogi taking off on Shepard Fairey's Obama designs:

[sleepboy]

Here's one by Mr. Brainwash errr... i mean probably by one of the artists he hired. It's nice that it's not supporting one or the other.

[sleepboy]

Anyone know why Josh Keyes was included in this video?

[lowpro]

Nov 9, 2008 10:45:15 GMT -8 sleepboy said:

Anyone know why Josh Keyes was included in this video?

I think the Keyes work belonged just fine. Sure, on the surface they might seem a little out of place, as they weren't explicitly used in Obama's campaign. Obviously, the person producing the video is hip to what's going on with this art movement, on some level at least. Keyes' politically and environmentally motivated work is certainly very much in line with the ideals of this new presidency. Moreover, the importance of the Guardian series, more so than any of his other work, so appropriately and effectively conveys the need for us as humans to act as stewards to the planet and to enact more sustainable policies as a government.