They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
But artists worldwide are using just two to make crystal clear their feelings about President Donald Trump.
The “Fuck Trump” project asks creatives to submit works featuring only that phrase. It invites audiences to download those images for free to print and display wherever they want.
Like on bumper stickers or “on the White House perimeter fence,” the campaign’s organizers, Amanda White and Jon Gibson, told HuffPost this week.
“If you’re offended, you’re missing the point,” said the organizers, who co-own the Los Angeles art gallery and creative production company iam8bit.
“Our statement is blunt and bold, sure, but that is also its strength. It is a Primal Scream. It says what it means and it’s not shy about it,” White and Gibson explained in an email. “It tells President Trump exactly what we think of him. Isn’t that kind of transparency a welcome change after nearly 4 years of presidential bullshit, lies and deceit?”
They added: “Trump has no qualms about offending anyone, and his ego is the tallest glass mountain. To shatter his self-perception with a pointed and direct statement of total outrage and utter disappointment, one piece of art at a time, is a victory.”
The campaign’s website went live on Jun. 14 ― on Flag Day and during Pride Month.
The date was no accident. White and Gibson wrote that they aim to draw attention “to the fragmentation of the American union, as precipitated by the current administration, a direct contrast to what the American flag represents” and Trump’s attacks on underrepresented groups, including the LGBTQ community.
It was also Trump’s 74th birthday.
“We hope we made his special day just a little bit less enjoyable,” they said.
So far, the project has received more than 200 submissions. It’s been backed by “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill, whose son Nathan Hamill is a contributor.
“I loved the idea (of the campaign) and was honored to be amongst so many wonderful artists who feel the same about our leadership in this country,” the younger Hamill told HuffPost.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Nathan Hamill said. “We’ve never had a sitting president that has been so deranged and so dangerous. Extreme danger calls for an extreme response.”
Some artists have submitted pieces anonymously, lest they jeopardize their visas or green card status, said White and Gibson.
It was that “economy of fear” and smell of “the McCarthyism we thought we’d long since left behind” that the anti-Trump campaign is fighting, added the organizers.
White and Gibson said they hope to collect thousands of pieces of art by the time Americans go to the polls in November.
“This artwork is a resource for all, to use as that countermeasure against Trump’s lies and incompetence,” they said. “During this vital period, leading up to the 2020 election, we need as much counter-programming as possible to hit the public eye.”
“The Trump administration is a danger not just to the United States, but to all citizens of the world.”
Check out some of the art below and the full catalog on the website here.
