Now that the ballots are counted (most of them, in any case), and the winner will stand tall on Inauguration Day to accept the “mandate of the people,” the artists will put away their pretty banners and brightly-colored buttons, put the gags back in their mouths and crawl back to the privacy of their studios. Or will they?
The election is over and done with, how do you feel? What’s going to happen to you? What will you do? Will it have an impact on the way you make art?
Mouth still hanging open and not quite sure what to do.
-Amy Vogel
I think that 53 percent of the electorate has been sadly and grossly misled by politicians who are willing to put any spin on issues of “values” and “morality” they can, to get votes. As a result, we get four more years of the same evil. I waffled last week between thinking that it’s a sign of progress that Reagan won by a landslide, but Bush had to fight over Ohio (progress, not perfection), and wanting to shout “BETTER DEAD THAN RED,” and starting wholesale revolution.
No one in Washington is going to stand up for our rights or our beliefs because it just doesn’t make good sound bite copy to do the right thing. Upholding the constitution is a DIY affair. I think it’s key that we keep voting every day, with our purchases and with our actions, for a world where people treat each other with tolerance, compassion and understanding.
That said, I decided to take my talents and start a blog/action site at: www.angrywoman.us. Come join the fun, it’s only just begun! Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t get mad. Get angry and get active in taking back our language, our real values and our country, one mind at a time. I’m not sure where it will end up, but it seemed like a more mature option than moving to Amsterdam.
-Caroline Keem
The results of the election are heartbreaking. As I watched Kerry and George W debate it seemed like a no-brainer. Kerry was eloquent, ethical, intelligent, clearly addressing all the issues, advocating a peaceful solution to the conflict in Iraq, challenging the Bush tax measures that provide perks to large corporations and those individuals in the highest income brackets. The election pointed to how steeped we are in “Protestant ethics.” How come, although we claim we separate church and state, a majority of voters advocate conservative “Christian” ideology? It is the 21st century and gay marriage is still considered a sin.
It was an election that was won by fear. Bush preyed on people’s fear of “terrorism.” In each debate, he the used the words terror, terrorist or terrorism at least 10 times. Ironically, Kerry was the Vietnam vet who could quote Biblical scripture. Perhaps the spin-doctors are at fault.
The world around us “knows what time it is.” Why don’t we?
-Audrey Colby, Art History, Theory and Criticism
I am honestly afraid of being ostracized because of my opinion, however, I feel that it is necessary for it to be heard. I am from Paris, Illinois, a town of approximately 9,500 people. Our high school is well over 100 years old and the largest business in town is the local Wal-Mart. Paris is also the host of the 1544th National Guard Transportation Unit, which has lost more troops to hostile fire than any other Illinois National Guard Unit.
Unfortunately, our town is also second in the nation for National Guard casualties in this war: five deaths and 28 casualties as of Halloween. And, as Paris’s Mayor, Craig Smith, put it, “Every child who’s a member of that unit that I know joined because it was a way to pay for college. It’s the National Guard. You don’t expect them to be put in harm’s way.” Although the facts are incredibly tragic, it doesn’t matter if you are for or against the president or the war, because at the moment, we are supporting each other and praying for our friends and family to return safely. The streets are lined with signs showing support, there is a yellow ribbon around almost every tree in town, and there are bumper stickers on every car. I stand with my friends, family members, and the people of Paris. I won’t put anything away or stuff a gag in my mouth until my town has recovered. Although I would have liked someone different in office, I suppose the election seemed trivial all along because the damage was already done.
-Kristin Dilts, Viscom
God Bless America. Four More Years.
-Kathryn Trout, Fashion Department
Let the bloody revolution begin: Civil War II.
-Roger Wakeman
Of course this election has influenced my art. It’s not so much about who won or who lost, but how people are acting because the person they voted for didn’t win. So many students act like that just because they voted Democrat, so did the rest of the country. Since their candidate didn’t win, the system must be flawed and we must rise up against it.
The problem with SAIC is that we are taught to be politically disorderly without any real education behind our actions. Too many students here just want to change the way things are, all the while blindly hoping that it is for the better. Maybe if SAIC focused more on educating themselves on both sides of a viewpoint and not just jumping on the revolution bandwagon, I would actually consider their forms of protest as legit. For example, that whole “Black Veil Day” flyer was probably the saddest attempt that I’ve seen to get an organized and thoughtful protest together. As a result, I get to joke around with my friends about how ridiculous this school can be.
How does this influence my art? Well, when I first came to this school, I was only slightly conservative, but now that I’ve been immersed in this pseudo-liberal environment, I become more and more right-wing everyday and my art begins to reflect that.
-Jake Chalkley
Related Links:
www.angrywoman.us
December 2004
