Wednesday 9 March 2016

Changing Your Culture

The second exhibition for 2016 was a well attended group exhibition at the Potemka Gallery in Leipzig.  This exhibition showcases the work of the gallery's artists and a few guests, me being one of them.  When I was asked to create a piece for this exhibition titled "Change Your Culture," I was not sure what to do.

After finally giving some time to see why the republican candidate Donald Trump was doing so well in the polls, I realized what I was going to explore.

Trump Trooper: NOT Making America Great Again, oil on canvas, 117 x 56 cm, ©Steve Lewis 2016


Looking down the barrel of a gun is the feeling we will have with Donald Trump as the next American president. This trooper flashing the “T” logo as a badge has been ordered to do the bidding of Trump in his efforts to "make America great again", but what consequence will this promise have for the world? We have already witnessed his sharp shooting words and verbal attacks on women, Mexicans, and Muslims during his campaign for the Republican candidacy. This image offers no hope of diplomacy. Having the Star Spangled Banner inversed as a symbol of distress and lying across the ground ironically charges this threatening propaganda. Ready for action, Trump’s trooper shamelessly stands upon the flag with complete disregard for which it stands, ignorant of the values that America is founded on. 

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©Steve Lewis 2016