Recent Exhibition-It’s All Policitcs

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IT’S ALL POLITICS

Show dates: October 8 – November 12
Reception – October 8, 7-9pm

In this election year, it will be impossible to escape politics. This show isn’t about endorsing any particular candidate, party or political system. Rather, it’s an opportunity for artists to share their angst, questions, hopes and fears about the political system, past and future. We want submissions that engage and encourage discussion.

It’s All Politics: About the Show

Political art has always been a presence, as it is the way we reflect on our social and political life. Even if we’re not experts, we can surely recall a piece of political art – whether from childhood, a publication, or favorite artist – that made an impression on us, or that we remember from popular culture.

A few examples of popular political art in the past 100 years: the British graffiti-artist Banksy – known to some as the “voice of the discontent of our society” – became famous just before the Occupation movement for using clever twists on images and words to comment on our current socio-political world. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Shepard Fairey’s Barack Obama Hope Poster became an instant international icon. A little over 70 years earlier, Pablo Picasso’s painting Guernica, possibly the most famous political art painting, commented on the fascist Spanish Nationalist group bombing of a village in northern Spain. Most recently, a statue of one of the current presidential candidates popped up in Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cleveland and Seattle, causing quite a stir. All of these pieces, and many others, made an impact on the social consciousness of the world.

As an homage to the power of political art, past, present and future, GCCA has invited a group of artists to share their creative statements on political issues that they care most about – voters’ rights, immigration, refugees, gun violence, capital punishment, war, racism, global warming and others. The intention is not to endorse any particular candidate, party, political system or point of view; rather, to engage, provoke and encourage discussion. As we view the exhibited art, we may ask ourselves which category of political art does the piece fall under: sociopolitical (to help people understand a particular political or social issue); artistic point of view; propaganda; protest; or satire. What is the artist saying or asking? And finally, what does the piece ask of us, if anything?

Some Images From the Exhibit

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Keith Haring “Free South Africa” t-shirt – a collaboration between Michele Saunders and Vahap Avsar
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“All the Places You Will Go” (exterior) by Vahap Avsar

 

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A section of Scott Langley’s pieces on the death penalty
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“Osamabamadrama” by Stuart Friedman
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“Toxie” by Claudia McNulty
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“Protest” by Jean Tansey
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“All the Places You Will Go” (interior) by Vahap Avsar
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“The Party’s Over” by ClockWork Cros
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“Respect My Authoritah” by Megan Stack
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“Protest” by Shelley Davis
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Hand signs by James Barber
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“Let’s Vote” tank top by Patricia Field, on mannequin painted by Zachary Laine
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“Mao” by Jerami Goodwin
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“Polar Vortex” by Ellen Knapp
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“Totem Polls” by Harriet Livathinos

 

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“Life of Pablo” by Zachary Laine aka I.M.Resin
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“Dead Sea” by Karni Dorell
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“Pops” and “Tremors” by Karni Dorell

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“Raising a Hawk” by Natalie Boburka
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“IED nr.1” by Maciej Toporowicz
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“HR-Faction 1 Flag” by Carter Harrington

 

Artists on Exhibit

BEN PINDER

CARTER HARRINGTON

CLAUDIA MCNULTY

CLOCKWORK CROS

DANIEL MARCUS

ELLEN KNAPP

HARRIET LIVATHINOS

JAMES BARBER

JACQUELINE JOLLES

JEAN TANSEY

JERAMI GOODWIN

JULIANNA KIRK

KAREN DOUGHERTY-KURTZ

KARL VOLK

KARNI DORELL

KIRSTEN BATES

KEN TANNENBAUM

MACIEJ TOPOROWICZ

MEGAN STACK

NATALIE BOBURKA

PAUL BARTON

SCOTT LANGLEY

SHELLEY DAVIS

STUART FRIEDMAN

VAHAP AVSAR

ZACHARY LAINE aka “I.M.Resin”

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