1 day of art Miami

Imagine only having 24 measly hours find inspiration, make decisions, and create a masterpiece. 

Imagine having to step out of your comfort zone because the topic is controversial.

Imagine this creation published in an international art magazine. 

There's nowhere to hide and nothing you can do if it goes horribly wrong. 

This is my story of pushing past my fears, pulling an all-nighter, and Fake News. 

My instinct was to paint a portrait of Donald Trump when presented with this challenge. It’s an obvious association with Fake News. My inner voice of doubt thought it was too obvious. So out of fear, I decided to paint a London bus as a symbol of misinformation during Brexit. I even thought about adding a little Farage and a Trump dressed as graffiti artists spraying a hashtag on the side of a bus.
 
But, at midnight, I realised that the bus idea wasn’t right. In that moment, I was so frustrated that I trashed the painting with graffiti saying “misinformation” and “don’t believe what you see” everywhere. 

And then, I panicked. That was the moment I accepted I wasn’t going to get any sleep. So I took out a new canvas and faced my fear of painting a portrait of Donald Trump.  
 
At 2 am, after talking with my best friend because politics is outside of my comfort zone, I finally had a suitable concept. 

The idea was to paint the Twitter Bird on Donald Trump’s shoulder. It'd look like it was chirping into his ear. And I'd write “We’ve got them dancing to our tunes”. 

Additionally, there would be words coded in his jacket, to be deciphered by the viewer, as a metaphor for experts spending time figuring out Donald Trump’s comments. 

If you look carefully, you read, “Discredit experts”, “Defame renowned news agencies”, “create smoke screens”, and “criticize = fake news”. 
 
This challenge took everything I had to complete. But I did it. 

“We’ve got them dancing to our tunes” represents the danger of the power to influence the masses in a sensationalist age. An age where technology and information can be so easily & affordably manipulated. So it supports egocentric interests—no matter how short-sighted they might be and with disregard to the global impact, climate changes, havoc, instability, division, and mistrust that it creates.

The 18th edition of (t)here Magazine was distributed at Art Miami, Art Basel and Context Art Miami during Miami Art Week 2017 and is being distributed in Dubai, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Macao and shortly in new US distribution outlets.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Joseph Campbell 

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1 Jour d'Art à Miami – Fausses Nouvelles  
 
"La caverne dans laquelle vous craignez d'entrer détient le trésor que vous recherchez." Joseph Campbell

Imaginez n'avoir que 24 petites heures pour trouver l'inspiration, prendre des décisions et créer un chef-d'œuvre.

Imaginez-vous devoir sortir de votre zone de confort parce que le sujet est controversé.

Et avoir cette création publiée dans un magazine d'art international.

Il n'y a nulle part où se cacher et rien que vous puissiez faire si cela se passe horriblement mal.

C'est mon histoire, celle de repousser mes peurs, de faire une nuit blanche, et de Fausses Nouvelles.

Mon instinct fut de peindre un portrait de Donald Trump lorsqu’on m’a présenté ce défi. C'est une association évidente avec Les Fausses Nouvelles. Ma voix intérieure de doute pensait que c'était trop évident. Donc, par peur, j'ai décidé de peindre un bus de Londres comme un symbole de désinformation pendant le Brexit. J'ai même pensé à ajouter un peu de Farage et un Trump habillé comme des graffeurs qui pulvérisent un hashtag sur le bord d'un bus.
 
Mais, à minuit, j'ai réalisé que l'idée du bus n'était pas bonne. À ce moment-là, j'étais tellement frustré que j'ai détruit la peinture avec des graffitis disant « désinformation » et « ne crois pas ce que tu vois » partout.

Ensuite, j'ai paniqué. C'était le moment où j'ai accepté que je n'allais pas dormir. J'ai donc sorti une nouvelle toile et affronté ma peur de peindre un portrait de Donald Trump.
 
À 2 heures du matin, après avoir parlé avec mon meilleur ami parce que la politique est en dehors de ma zone de confort, j'ai finalement eu un concept approprié.

L'idée était de peindre l'oiseau Twitter sur l'épaule de Donald Trump. On aurait dit qu'il pépiait dans son oreille. Et j'écrirais "On les fait danser sur nos airs".

De plus, il y aurait des mots codés dans sa veste, à déchiffrer par le spectateur, comme une métaphore pour les experts qui passent du temps à comprendre les commentaires de Donald Trump.

Si vous regardez attentivement, vous pouvez lire : "Discréditer les experts", "Diffamer les agences de presse renommées", "créer des écrans de fumée" et "critiquer = fausses nouvelles".
 
Ce défi a pris tout ce que j'avais pour le finir. Mais je l'ai fait.

"On les fait danser sur nos airs"." représente le danger du pouvoir d'influencer les masses dans un âge sensationnaliste. Un âge où la technologie et l'information peuvent être manipuler si facilement et à un prix abordable. Il soutient donc des intérêts égocentriques, aussi imprévoyants soient-ils, sans tenir compte de l'impact global, des changements climatiques, des ravages, de l'instabilité, de la division et de la méfiance qu'il crée.

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The materials I use to paint are traditional materials proven to last for centuries by the tradition of acrylic painting on canvas. I paint on artist quality cotton primed canvas and I mainly use Extra Fine heavy body Acrylics from Golden Artist Colors. My primer is Golden acrylic gesso. Visit http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/gesso.php to learn more about my materials.

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