Political Artists Take a Stand

Caroline Aquino

On the 20th of January 2017, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States of America. Only seven days into his presidency, Trump signed an executive order which halted the arrival of refugees as well as a travel-ban from several Muslim-majority countries. This was only the beginning of what would become an on-going list of racial discrimination instances. On his eighth day in office statistical polls already showed that his disapproval rating reached 51%—the fastest for any presidential administration in the United States.

Even before the inauguration, many citizens verbalised their stand with regards to Trump from his candidacy announcement to his electoral win. Social media erupted with opinions of all kinds; while some showed support, many were avid with their opposition. However, it did not end there. From rallies to protests, Americans from different backgrounds took their stand, ensuring their voices were heard. But what flourished the most during these times were the increase of political artists and their art works.

Probably the best known of these artistic protests would be We the People. The Amplifier Foundation had commissioned Shepard Fairey, alongside a couple of other political artists to design the artwork for this campaign. The posters, as well as postcards, stickers, and art prints, were made purchasable on their Kickstarter website, which was also an avenue for people to donate to the cause. Participants were then encouraged to flood Washington, DC on inauguration day with posters of their art as a new symbol of hope.

Additionally, with the amount of money raised from donations on Kickstarter, the Amplifier Foundation was able to pay six newspapers for a full-page advertisement on the edition that would be circulated on inauguration day. For this they submitted a copy of the posters, making it a tactical attempt to ensure distribution of the “We the People” images which people would be able to use in protest during the march. On inauguration day, the art was distributed for free and was made downloadable online.

Famous for designing the Barack Obama “HOPE” poster in 2008, Shepard Fairey has always been verbal about his political stance with the aid of his art work. Aside from his street art and galleries that display his collection of political art, Fairey has collaborated with several photographers to depict imagery that tackle social issues such as poverty, prison reform, workers’ rights, and voting rights.

The “We the People” posters display a diverse set of portraits that resemble the groups of people, such as African Americans, Latinas and Muslims, who are and have been disparaged by Trump and his supporters. Using these faces as the main models for the campaign take a shot at what it truly means to be an American citizen. As Munira Ahmed, the poster model wearing a hijab, said in an interview with the Guardian, “It’s about saying I am American just as you are.”

Shepard-GreaterThanFear

To check out and download the We the People poster gallery, click here.

The phrase “We the People” was taken from the first line of the United States constitution and is now being used to emphasise the collective union of diverse groups in the country. As Shepard Fairey puts it, “it means everyone”. Thus it further poses the challenge to reflect on what it means to be an American. This is a stand, not just against President Trump, but toward the increasing hatred spewing among citizens.

Resources

Statistics and Data:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/popularity.php

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/index.html

http://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx

https://www.statista.com/statistics/665379/us-president-s-days-in-office-until-51-percent-public-disapproval-truman-to-trump/

Shepard Fairey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npd5sLbwedQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6SQQUEQznE

https://obeygiant.com/

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/nov/14/shepard-fairey-new-exhibition-la-damaged

Munira Ahmed: