Protests and Apple PieOctober 25, 2013 - November 22, 2013

Curated by Flavia S. Zúñiga-West

Gabriella Cleuren , Jimmy Iowa, Nora Meyer, Jeff Van Syckel

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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

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“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?

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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