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Protests and Apple PieOctober 25, 2013 - November 22, 2013
Curated by Flavia S. Zúñiga-West
Gabriella Cleuren , Jimmy Iowa, Nora Meyer, Jeff Van Syckel
! Page 2
The televised coverage of the Vietnam War
directly impacted the creation of protest and
political art in the United States and abroad.
The primary source of the moving image,
video cameras in a war zone, brought the
horror and consequences of war into the
living rooms around the world. War
officially became part of American daily life
in 1960s, and has never left due to the
advancements and accessibility of media.
The growth of the media has impacted art
and war within contemporary society such
as the revolution of social media in Third
World countries like the Arab Spring. For
the artist, the access to visual imagery,
presidential speeches, civil uprising,
protests, presidential administration cover-
ups etc, supply an endless resource for
politically charged art.
The four artists in this exhibition have
divulged the emotional, psychological, and
ethical ramifications of war on human
psyche. Playing off the WWII idiom, “ for
Mom and apple pie,” these artists respond to
the current political environment of 2013.
The influence of Roy Lichtenstein and James
Rosenquist’s pop political works are evident in
Van Syckel’s re-appropriation of a comic book
composition and concern over technologically
advanced weapons. “ a lifetime thinking-
Drones,” depicts White House Press Secretary,
Jay Carney, Attorney General Eric Holder and
President Obama in a three comic book style
frames with speech bubbles quoting public
record. The three men are rendered as comic
book character villains with smudged black on
their faces. Van Syckel documents the legality
of drone strikes on American citizens on
American soil, calling the ethics of our
government into question.
Jimmy IowaBuilt on Dead BodiesPen & Ink on paper
! Page 3
“Black Power 2” relies on newspaper
images referencing the American Suffragist
Movement and the women’s marches. In
Black Power, women wearing black berkas
appear as a solid landmass, dominating the
majority of the composition. The Arab
women’s movement jolts the mind,
connecting to the current events of the
“feminist Spring” fighting for equality in
Arab countries. Cleuren’s work is uplifting
as the landscape of black symbolizes unity
and the strength of the movement.
Gabriella CleurenBlack Power 2Acrylic on Steinbach 250 paper
Domestic affairs are of equal concern to
artist Jimmy Iowa. Iowa’s work, “ Built on
Dead Bodies,” directly attacks American life
with a hand drawn apple pie filled with
blood and skeletons oozing out of a
removed slice, with a growing cemetery
above it. An American symbol of friendship,
family, and comfort is defiled with incoming
bombs attacking peace, oil derricks
exploding, and a church with a skull, red
windows, and with no entrance or exit.
Iowa’s work is far from subtle, and the piece
begs the question: are we what we eat?
! Page 4
Meyer’s “ For the People, ” portrays a
melting and disintegrating Libyan flag,
referencing the savage civil war. The
crescent and star that represents Islam are
disbanded and appear almost depolarized at
opposite ends of the composition. The
Libyan flag is made up of three bands of
color, and two shapes, a crescent and a star.
The colors, red, black, and green bands
represent the three main regions in the
country while in the center of the flag, the
star and crescent represent the primary
religion of Libya, Islam. Meyer’s chaotic
flag shows the cost of freedom and how it
beliefs can divide a country.
All these pieces engage with the realities of contemporary politics, realities often marred by violence, double-speak, and institutional corruption. These works act as a reminder that politics have an ever-present effect upon the private life of individuals.
Nora MeyerFor the PeopleMixed Media on canvas
DIGITAL
ACCESSIBLE
FREE
Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Daniel Ruiz for his editorial eye.
Cover:
Jeff Van Syckel , “a lifetime thinking- Drones ”
http://dulcineaartgallery.com