I guess I'm glad I'm not in America and that many of the current issues don't directly affect me or those close to me. But I do have friends who are touched by these issues and through engaging with artists on social media I see the numerous divisions but I also see the hope and when there's hope there's a will to push forward. A great example of this hope comes via the political artwork that's been popping up online over the last few months. Recently Juxtapoz Magazine produced a great feature on NYC artist Steve 'ESPO' Powers. Espo is well know in graffiti and street art circles, shifting from late night spray missions to more legitimate art making, ESPO has been a leading voice and figure in the sign painting revival of the last decade and his slogans and unique works have had a real impact on towns and cities across the US. Where Trump is the golden boy of New York, ESPO is the street hustler who's trying to sell you some dodgy home printed shirts which he's laboured over in a basement. Surely that's more in line with the American dream than a billionaire property tycoon?
Like Espo, many artists have tried to do their bit in getting Americans out to vote with special art badges from the likes of KAWS and Shepard Fairey delcaring 'I Voted'. It's crazy to think that such a small minority of Americans actually go to the poles and cast their votes. The recent reports on voter suppression tactics and the need for voting reform in the states is sobering but I don't think you can blame disenfranchised communities for not turning out. Its a viscous cycle, one that many politicians rely on to maintain their power and wealth so the fight to bring about change is always going to be tough. Just look at who the media is attacking to find out who you should be watching and perhaps backing because if the establishment is scared then that person poses a real threat as we've seen in the UK with Jeremy Corbyn. That said I think Nigel Farage was given as much air time as Corbyn, Farage being a right wing bellend who's done more damage to the UK than perhaps Thatcher did and that includes sending in the police to brutalise the striking minors in the 1980's.
One of my favourite artists in recent years is Revok, a name you might recognise from the infamous copyright lawsuit case with H&M. As H&M stepped up their legal efforts to counter claims from Revok around the use of one of his street pieces in an ad campaign, little did they realise they we're kicking the a hornets nest in the form of the US graffiti scene of which Revok is a much respected member. Stores across the stated were tagged, smashed and trashed, proof that although we might think of graffiti culture as a tamed beast, there are still a lot of hardcore vandals who know how to throw down.
And Revok has certainly stepped up to throw down against Donald J Trump. Taking to the streets, Revok has plastered the streets with portraits of the 45th president, his face obscured by large black marks. Much as you might censor a dirty word on TV, Revok has censored the president, a man so obsessed with his own self image that I think seeing these posters would actually cause him some up set. The videos and photos of these posters has proven to be quite powerful with hundreds of images lined up on the streets of LA with someone even trying to sell a ripped down poster for $2000 on ebay. Here's hoping Revok can beat Trump and win this battle too!
Street artist Swoon has also thrown her weight behind various initiatives to encourage disheartend Americans to vote. The 'Signs of Change' campagin has worked with lots of artists to produce a series of posters encouraging everyone to get out and vote. "The project will cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Our aim is to get critical information out through a creative medium that reflects the collective consciousness of the United States and motivates young voters to show up on November 3rd".
Producing large amounts of posters and getting them up across the states requires money so the group have been running a kick starter campaign to help cover the costs of the project and allowing backers the chance to pick up a limited edition poster from a chosen artist. Although there's only a few hours left and their still less than half way to their funding target, the team have certainly shown that when people get organised they can make a difference.
Another artist who's got a long history of political discourse on the streets of America is street art pioneer John Fekner. John has been pushing back against the US government since the days of Ronald Raegan with his slogans of 'Broken Promises' and 'Decay' appearing in large stenciled fonts across derelict buildings in the massively deprived area of the South Bronx in New York. An area with large Latino and African American communities, the parallels between the state supported oppression of these groups then and now doesn't feel too much different although the case might be that some are economically slightly better off in 2020, the disdainful language used by Trump certainly feels more akin to the racism of olden days USA. People often cite topics like the economy and jobs as a good reason to support someone like Trump despite his gross rhetoric, that's why we need artists like John Fekner to remind us about the real world impact on real people, hearts and minds and dreams, not just statistics to be deployed when you need to win an arguement or to be chastised when you need to appeal to racists.
As artists take to the streets to share their message for the 2020 elections another notable contribution came from William Schaff. Schaff is well know for his distinctive drawings and paintings, being responsible for the floating hands on the 'Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven' album by God Speed You Black Emperor. A skeletal faced Trump declares 'Make America Worse Again!' flipping his MAGA moniker 'Vote Trump 2020'. Not content with just sharing the image on social media, Schaff managed to turn the artwork into a billboard in his home of Providence, Rhode Island. As one of his friends commented, protest art at its finest!
Finally artist Dan Witz provides a powerful reminder of what our votes really mean and who will ultimately come off worst in any case, the children. We've already seen the impact one person can have in 4 years and how they can create a legacy of damage that we'll have to deal with long after they're gone. I think Witz has captured a unique aspect of the fall out of our politics and flawed democracies. I mean any system where you could technically have the most votes but not win because of a systemic flaw seems ridiculous in 2020 or in any election. But as I hear time and again, the system isn't broken, its been designed to fail those who need it to work the most and as long as people continue to follow these systems nothing will change.
As more and more of us consume images via social media it's been interesting to see the creative responses to this years election run. Of course forming any sort of opinions based on the clanging inside our own echo chambers is pointless. I hope that Biden manages to tip the scales and offers enough hope for our friends across the pond. But with the current trend of people voting wholeheartedly against their own interests I wouldn't be suprised if its 4 more years for Trump. And really it's becoming less about the damage that Trump can do (lets see who high the coronavirus death toll goes) but about scary levels of fanaticism he inspires in his fan base. Talk of civil war if he loses, armed militias plotting against government officials, these really are quite scary times. And of course Trump exacerbates all of these things, fanning the flames on one side while completely shirking any form of responsibility on the other. For the right wing to hold the American ideals in such high regard, its baffling that they've put so much faith in a man who calls people nasty for asking him tough questions. Losing the election could be the biggest blow ever to Trumps ego. Here's hoping its a hard and swift one!
