On Saturday I'll be in a group show at Art Gotham's Square Foot Show. This year, fittingly, the theme is Election 2008. It has been a fascinating election to watch, i.e. the way a train wreck rivets one's attention. As a Canadian, who obviously can't vote in this country, I can't help but question the two party political system (and yes, I'm discounting the Ralph Nader and Ross Perot types) and view it as devisive and deficient. For many disillusioned voters, the 2008 elections will be a choice between the lesser of two evils, rather than an affirmation of support for the platform of either candidate.
"Politics and art? As impossible a mix as oil and water? Not necessarily. Has there ever been a more powerful anti-war message than Picasso’s Guernica? The last year has shown that Americans want to engage in politics again. We do care what happens here and abroad. To celebrate the excitement now bubbling as the coming election approaches, Art Gotham chose the timely theme “Election 2008” for its biannual Square Foot Show, which opens Saturday, October 26th and runs through Sunday, November 9th. Artists were provided with 12x12 inch canvases, and asked to think politically as they create works for the show. Nothing like a tough assignment for producing amazing results. "
ART GOTHAM
