1776

*TRUMP

I know we are still a ways from Groundhog Day, but as of this writing we've only gotten a dusting of snow, and even that has melted. It's the middle of Jan. and global warming or not the hawk has been kept at bay. It's cold, but then it warms up and rains (not snows). This is the pattern. I craved the snow during deer season, but now I could give a shit. I'm working up on a mountain and dry roads make the commute doable. Yeah, you heard right....I'm working. I haven't figured out if it's art or just carpentry. In meantime I'm being paid as if it were carpentry. Cheeky's fine. Shewho and Teehoo are good. I got nothing to complain about. Oh wait. There's Trump.
    I'm pretty good at ignoring politics. I'm not one of those guys who joins causes or parties or coalitions. I dress to the left and let the others worry the details. But for some reason Trump gets under my skin. It's not like I haven't lived through other criminally idiotic presidents. Reagan and Nixon come to mind. But the idea that Trump could possibly be the Republican candidate for president and could actually win, scares the piss out of me. Maybe that's his intent and I'm playing right into his hands by actually giving a shit. At this point I don't really know. I'm obviously not thinking clearly.
    And what do you do when you are confused and befuddled? You take art and you make junk out of it. Hell, anyone can take junk and make art out of it. It takes some doing to accomplish the reverse. So far the shul has served both as a vox populi (me being the only populi vox) wall and a dry containment for my objects. I thought someone would tag the side. But of course when you welcome the tag it never comes. Tags seem to congregate where they are most unwelcome. So it seems proper that if I was to do didactic, heavy handed political statements those angry letters rest on the side of the old communist shul.
    As I finished spray painting the word "FASCIST' on the wall a Hassidic family in a van pulled up. The man got out with a million questions. Was it still a shul? Did I pray here? Was I Jewish? A politician?????? I told him it was my art project and gave him the tour. He was fascinated. After many more questions we shook hands, as his wife yelled from the road that the kids wanted to go. "I want to see what you paint on the wall after the election." Now that's what I'm talking about. I hope it's got nothing to do with that * Trump.

IT'S THE LAW

ON MESSAGE

UNATTAINABLE ASPIRATIONS

Under social mob/media pressure Old Navy, the store of cheap-o, recycled "hipness" in crappy consumerism, has removed a line of T-shirts with a crossed out "Artist" tag line, replaced by a  so-called respectable pie-in-the-sky profession like president or astronaut. If they had just set their sights a little lower to a career in janitorial services or bookkeeping, I would've been completely on board with the message. The last thing the world needs is more artists. But the same could be said for astronauts and presidents.

    Artists (and I'm one of them) are pretty much boils on the ass of society. We poke and prod and irritate whomever and however we can. We're not like those pro cats who show in galleries and museums and have interns and bank accounts and are appreciated. No. The kind of artist you will most likely become, if you were to wear a toddler shirt celebrating the "art career", is one like me- a soldier in the trenches. You will be perceived as a worthless waste of space in a world much more difficult than it is today. By comparison I've had it easy. Today's toddler will inherit a world of fucked up weather, terrorism, sociopathic politicians........just like today, only more so. The fact that I made it this far, with my cred. in tact, surprises me as much as it does you.

So to Old Navy I say shame on you for pulling those t-shirts. Fucking facebook has deluded everyone into thinking that posting what you had for dinner, the view out your window or your ass-selfie makes you an artist. Art is serious business and should not be entered into lightly by dilettante toddlers with time on their hands. My idea for a t-shirt: AN ASPIRING MURDERER. Then cross out murderer and scrawl in cop. Lets keep it realistic.