May Steven's Dark Flag

"Political activity does not interfere with my work, it feeds it. And if I'm interested in racism and fighting racism, then that should show up—will show up—in my work.” - May Stevens

A committed civil-rights activist and feminist, between 1967 and 1976 Stevens produced a series of paintings called Big Daddy, where she addressed and channelled her anger towards her own father's racist views. Painted at the end of that period, Dark Flag marks the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is however not a celebration, the artists here was casting a critical look at the symbolic value of the star spangled banner and the uglier manifestations of patriotism, nationalism and white supremacy.

I like the haunting ambiguity of this image, I am gripped by its intensity and tension. Three sitting figures shrouded in the American flag. Hard to say whether they are mourning, silently protesting injustice or grieving the loss of something or someone important in their lives.

Forty-five years on, look at how still painfully relevant this work is. How many of these flags against the grey sky have seen on our screens over the past couple of days? They have become the tragic symbol of the violent culmination of years of hateful rhetoric and relentless falsehoods. Fanning old, very old, racial hatred and emboldening racists and bigots. Very dark flags, indeed. And to everyone who has said that what happened on Capitol Hill on January 6th 'is not America', I say: Mate, you have not been paying attention. That IS America.

#maystevens #femaleartist #americanartist #painting #contemporaryart #activisim #racism #americanflag #starspangledbanner #america #artblog #blogger #beyondthecanvasblog

May Stevens (1924-2019)

Dark Flag, 1976

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

© May Stevens, courtesy the estate of the artist and RYAN LEE Gallery, New York

Kim Abeles' Smog Collectors

"The Smog Collectors materialize the reality of the air we breathe. I place cut, stencilled images on transparent or opaque plates or fabric, then leave these on the roof of my studio and let the particulate matter in the heavy air fall upon them. After a period of time, from four days to a month, the stencil is removed and the image is revealed in smog." - Kim Abeles

Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have burned over 4 million acres in California, with 5,000 firefighters battling as many as 22 wildfires every day. It's a chilling record to which we need to add the human, i.e. the number of people evacuated and the millions breathing unhealthy air, as well as the incalculable animal toll.

Los Angeles-based artist Kim Abeles has been addressing the urgency and gravity of the environmental issue since she started her Smog Collectors series in 1987. This project began with portrait plates of US presidents, each with a stenciled picture of the men's face and a statement they made about the environment. The darker the face, the worse their record on the subject - Abeles made sure they were left outside in the polluted air for longer to reflect that.

Over 30 years later, Abeles returned to the Smog Collectors expanding their reach to the international level. This time the plates portray ten world leaders, and each of them is inscribed with a quote from their speeches at the world climate summits held between 2011 and 2018. These gold-rimmed plates, made in the guise of tacky souvenirs, carry a sobering message. The leaders may be smiling, but how many of the promises they made did they keep? What is their legacy going to be? These plates are a call to action, a reminder that a lot has been said, but not enough has been done. These plates, covered in soot, words and truth, demand accountability.

Special thank you to my dear friend Alice-May for introducing me to this artist and her compelling work.

#kimabeles #smog #wildfires #environment #environmentalactivism #conceptualart #contemporaryart #femaleartist #artblog #artblogger #beyondthecanvasblog

The 10 most powerful world leaders and their statements in smog (2019-2020)

Photos courtesy of the artist

Empty plates in Southend (things are about to get very political)

I was researching a post that involved smog and plates (fear not, it's coming), when I came across photos of different plates. These are empty plates left by the people of Southend, a town in southeast England, in front of the local Tory HQ and Conservative Club as a sign of protest after their MP voted against feeding children most at risk of going hungry.

For those who do not live in the UK, earlier this week the Labour party's motion on providing 1.4m disadvantaged children with £15-a-week food vouchers during holidays was voted down. MPs rejected it by 322 votes to 261 with a government majority of 61.

22 year-old footballer Marcus Rashford, once one of those children, has been using his social media platform to campaign hard, already forcing the government to do a u-turn and extend the meal vouchers scheme through the summer. He has now launched a petition, signed by 850k people at the time of writing this, to persuade the government to reconsider their decision.

This is the United Kingdom in 2020. A country governed by corrupt and incompetent politicians who squander billions on dodgy contracts benefitting their peers and donors. A country where almost 4 million children live below the poverty line and cannot afford adequate nutrition. A country where reliance on food banks has surged by 73% in the last 5 years. A country where, in the midst of a global pandemic and recession like no other, Tory MPs choose to turn their back on the most vulnerable.

Anyway, plates. Empty plates. I thought that in all their simplicity and spontaneity they looked very poignant, a bit like a conceptual art installation made by people like you and me so our voice can be heard.

#southend #england #endchildfoodpoverty #foodpoverty #marcusrashford #beyondthecanvasblog

Photo https://twitter.com/ScotteeIsFat

Photo https://twitter.com/AstonALine