Louisiana, Trump, & Dead Ducks
On the way to the studio today, I saw a magazine cover that caught my eye, if only really because of how excessively American it looked and I haven’t been in the US in so long.
It’s very subtle things like this, I realize, that England influences my work. I haven’t been able to find that image of Trump online, but I think the whole situation was timed just right for what I want these series of duck objects to convey.
Trump/McDonalds/America.
Rather than just trusting my own skill, I cut out the image precisely, taped it on, then traced the outline of it it onto the cup, leaving space for text to be written underneath.
My original design had Jeff Landry’s (gov of Louisiana) face instead of the Louisiana pelican state flag. I thought this was better, as not a lot of people outside (or even inside) of Louisiana knows or cares who he is. The flag is more recognizable within the US, at least more recognizable than Landry.
Additionally, even though this set of work points out directly that Landry signed a bill that requires public classrooms to put posters of the ten commandments on display, he is not very important to me. The vast majority of people in Louisiana, and probably everyone outside of New Orleans, either don’t mind or approve of such legislation. They’re ideologically aligned with libertarianism in many ways but they love state-mandated religion. The hypocrisy I’m addressing on these cups aren’t for the governor, it’s for the vast majority of people in the south. I don’t know if Landry ever abused any animal but I can’t count with my fingers and toes how many people I personally knew who abused farm animals and laughed about shooting cats & dogs. The same people who get outraged to hear Haitians are eating them in a city they have never, ever heard of or care about.
I have no problem, really, with southern governments totally ignoring and laws and constitutions, but they don’t even abide by their own rules. Dead ducks sprawled on muddy ground and the rabbits’ feet dangling from the cages above them at a long-finished rodeo - “two sparrows are but a penny, yet God knows them” - caused by the same people who go to church and tithe.
These cups are a set, along with a pitcher, for cold drinks like sweet tea, hopefully enjoyed by a nice, God-fearing southern family.
