Tag Archives: politics

Yes, It Exists: President William McKinley as Napoleon

mckinley as napoleon phot by gail worley
Photos By Gail

This jug depicts President William McKinley dressed as Napoleon as a political satire of his policy shift towards American imperialism in the Philippines. Continue reading Yes, It Exists: President William McKinley as Napoleon

Modern Art Monday Presents: Dmitri Dergatchev, The New Icon

new icon putin photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

I happened upon Dmitri Deragtchev’s The New Icon (2022) while vacationing in Vancouver BC.  As you can see, the piece is quite visually striking and has a lot to unpack. I  felt it would be an appropriate feature choice for this column given the current political world climate, and it being Halloween and all. The artist’s statement follows:

For me, all of the evil of the world is now personified in the image of Vladimir Putin.  In my work, I want to show people the true image of the “New Icon” created by inhuman propaganda and expose the substitution of familiar iconic images and symbols. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Dmitri Dergatchev, The New Icon

Modern Art Monday Presents: Barbara Kruger, Your Body is a Battleground

your body is a battleground photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Barbara Kruger (b. 1945)  addresses the media and politics in their native tongue: tabloid, sensational, authoritative, and direct. Kruger’s words and images merge the commercial and art worlds; their critical resonance eviscerates cultural hierarchies — everyone and everything is for sale.

Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Barbara Kruger, Your Body is a Battleground

Black Lives Matter / Black Flag Mash Up T-Shirt

black lives matter t shirt

If supporting social causes is important to you, and you also like classic American punk rock, you might feel the need to dress yourself in this attractive Black Lives Matter T-shirt.  This sharp design by Noble Tee Shop incorporates the image of four white bars on a black field that any fan would instantly recognize as the iconic logo for LA-based punk band Black Flack. Yes, it is pretty cool, and available in a variety of shirt styles, sizes and colors for $24.95 each at This Link!

black lives matter t shirt

The Story Behind A Charming Street Art Enigma: The Spray Paints Series

beauty photo by gail worley
Beauty (All Photos By Gail)

While most of the street art that I discover on my adventures is clearly tagged, sometimes that tag is hard to decipher, and I need some assistance identifying the artist. By connecting with artists on Instagram, I’ve learned that they all seem to know and support each other, which is cool and very helpful.  If I don’t know the artist behind a work that I want to put on the blog, and the first person I ask doesn’t know, then they know someone who does. This is how I ended up connecting with the creator of an unsigned series of works that I’ve been seeing on the streets, and documenting, since around Christmastime last year. Each of the paste-ups in this very distinctive series features one to three still life images accompanied by a one-word title, and the artist’s signature conspicuously absent. If you live in the east village or downtown, there’s no way you haven’t seen them. All I can say is that they speak to me.

Continue reading The Story Behind A Charming Street Art Enigma: The Spray Paints Series