From Patrick Courrielche ’s editorial Artist Formerly Known as Dissent, published in Reason on Aug 7th, he questions why the art community did not stand behind, and actively demonized the creator of the Obama Joker poster:

I find it hard to believe that the Obama Joker creator is the only serious detractor (assuming that it is a critical commentary) within the art community. And I’m sure the incendiary criticism will keep others from creating similar images. But regardless of political affiliation, the art community must embrace all rational dissenters. Art must not exclusively serve the interests of any presidential administration.

The power of art, in combination with the suppression of free speech or a free press, has been used as a tool by authoritarian governments to control their citizens. From Hitler, Stalin, and Mao to Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il, art has been used to deify leaders while preserving the position of the ruling class. Most artists would not want to be referred to as tools of the state, but in the case of Obama’s administration, that’s exactly what they’ve been so far.

Same author/artist, two days ago:

(Just the juicy bits)

I recently wrote a critique of the art community’s lack of dissent in the face of many controversial decisions made by the current administration. Entitled “The Artist Formerly Known as Dissident,” one of the key points argued in the article was the potential danger associated with the use of the art community as a tool of the state. Little did I know how quickly this concern would be elevated to an outright probability.

On Thursday August 6th, I was invited by the National Endowment for the Arts to attend a conference call scheduled for Monday August 10th hosted by the NEA, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and United We Serve. The call would include “a group of artists, producers, promoters, organizers, influencers, marketers, taste-makers, leaders or just plain cool people to join together and work together to promote a more civically engaged America and celebrate how the arts can be used for a positive change!”

Obama has a strong arts agenda, we were told, and has been very supportive of both using and supporting the arts in creative ways to talk about the issues facing the country. We were “selected for a reason,” they told us. We had played a key role in the election and now Obama was putting out the call of service to help create change. We knew “how to make a stink,” and were encouraged to do so.

And if you think that my fear regarding the arts becoming a tool of the state is still unfounded, I leave you with a few statements made by the NEA to the art community participants on the conference call. “This is just the beginning. This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally?…bare with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely… “

Is the hair on your arms standing up yet?

Comment from “Squires”:

I think right-leaning artists should begin applying for NEA grants claiming they wish to create a series of works which will throw light onto the true spirit and character of our new president… all couched in glowing terms, of course.

They should then use the grant money to produce anti-Obama agitprop, bold, frightening, hollow-eyed images of a narcissistic cult leader.

Hmmm.  I’m somewhat of a portrait artist.  I’m a chick too, and according to the sidebars on Facebook, Obama loves giving the ladies the grants. Sounds like a good idea.  Maybe I’ll do that.

Do you think I could get some money to sculpt a golden calf with a familiar face?  Maybe I can get people to send me their earrings?

(Brian and Cranky, masters of iconography and collage may want in on this one.)

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 11:03 am and is filed under Commies, Politics, The Obamessiah. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.