Metaphor

When I made this mural I knew it would be defaced. Either by supporters or detractors of Trump. That’s what divisive people do; they create an environment of polarization that results often in destruction. They create a world that is a zero sum game in which cooperation and tolerance are viewed as weakness. They also divide incredibly diverse populations into 2 sides. Each side believing they are victims of the opposing side. However, the way this piece is deteriorating is quite fitting. A perfect metaphor for what I was trying to say. What began as a tattered distressed American flag, a flag representative of the citizenry of the country, and the stresses that are currently present for those citizens. Having 13 stripes that represent the cooperation of the original 13 colonies and 50 stars representative of the 50 “united” states. Now just a few days later, the flag is rapidly disappearing; its colors, it’s fabric, what it stands for. What’s left is a portrait of one man. This is what happens in an autocracy. The identity of a nation and its people is quickly replaced by a monolithic figure who claims authority over all of it. Unchallenged and infallible. He elevates himself to be the face of the national identity.

The progression of this piece is demonstrating exactly what is happening in the U.S. right now. The government is being stacked with loyalists and sycophants, void of any expertise or qualifications, who are lining up behind one man. It’s happening very quickly.

What’s left are these traces of a national identity, and those principles. As the stars fall, and the stripes become faint demarcations, the image that reveals itself is not of principle, or values, or a common commitment. The image is of the ego and insecurity of malignant narcissist, who wants you to believe he is the incarnation of those principles and values. He is not. Whomever defaced the mural helped me to create this synchronized metaphor for the current political moment.

Street art is always a collaboration with a place, and sometimes that collaboration creates a better more poignant work.