Does art have the power to persuade?
Looking at Art:
The poster, designed by Shepard Fairley of Barack Obama in bright colors with the word “hope”, became the symbol of his 2008 campaign for president. The image was wildly popular at the time and is in the Smithsonian Institute Portrait Gallery today. Was the poster responsible for votes for Obama? Does art have this kind of power? What do you think?
Work in the Studio:
The 2020 election has been a major source of news and everyone I have talked to has a strong opinion about the two men running for president. I was inspired to address the competition by creating either a sculpture or a painting. The design of the work went though many stages. I imagined Biden and Trump as superhero and rogue. President Trump has such an expressive face it is hard to resist creating a portrait of him. Here is the final painting, completed just before the presidential debate.
Checkmate, Watercolor, 14” x 11”
In the game of chess, the defeated player has their king placed on its side when the game is over. As the election approaches, this chess board seemed like the perfect symbol of our time.
