It's been six-plus months since Obama took office, and the new Rolling Stone cover is the first image of Obama I've created in that time. As a candidate, his vision and his message of shared civic duty were inspiring, but as president he faces an unbelievable pressure to accomplish what he set out to do, despite the reality that he can't do it alone. Much like my "Hope" image was intended to express his vision and his intellectual diligence, I also wanted this new image to convey his focus, but with the added weight and stress of responsibility. While he is undoubtedly our leader, the question I placed in the presidential seal, "Will he take bold action or compromise too easily?" is one that I think we all need to ask about ourselves and what we're doing to work toward what we believe in. The pitfalls of "politics as usual" aren't reserved for politicians.
However, a lot can and will change. As Joe Strummer of The Clash once said, "The future is unwritten." In my illustration I make reference to Gilbert Stuart's famous unfinished portrait of George Washington to capture the idea that, although we're quick to judge, it's too early to tell how Obama's presidency will turn out. Hopefully Obama and all of us who have stood behind him will do everything we can to fill in our incomplete future the way we've pictured it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98131992@N00/3397416370/
http://www.weaselzippers.net/.a/6a00e008c6b4e5883401156f4b5edf970b-800wi
Tim
http://www.theclashblog.com/
I like to think Strummer would have had his undeniable hope recharged by the election of Obama and I hope the US population show the wisdom of patience as this journey continues.
http://www.theclashblog.com
Tim
Take what you like and leave the rest.
He'll keep moving forward if we continue to stand up and move with him. We are the great force, he's just the wedge cutting through the culture...
Thank Shepard for the post and the art!
or
Keep going in this direction and we will lose our county to the wealth socialist elite.
either way Obama makes history
He is turning this recession into a depression. As the economy struggles he proposes to pass the largest tax ever passed in the history of this nation with Cap and Trade. Guarenteed to destroy what ever industry is left and leave another 2-4 million people unemployed.
To further hurt the recovery he has spent, borrowed, and printed so much money that our great grand children will be paying off just his debt. This will devalue the dollar, lead to high interest, and high inflation and millions more will be without jobs.
He now wants to control 7 percent of the economy with his health Noble idea but will only quicken the countries demise. In six short months he has done a lot to make us into a welfare state where the only thing left is government. He'll rule us with a strong hand with his Union thugs to make sure we stay in our place as they are doing with the town hall meetings. So all you progressives cheer him on this is what you always wanted the evil America destroyed and brought low before the world.
So can we call the "Teabaggers", "Confederate Bullies"? Ha!
Paranoid? Hateful? Greedy? Delusional? Misinformed? Lied to? Short-sighted?
which one are you?
Summary of his accomplishments: helped bail out the too big to fail financiers, some face lift with respect to torture guantanamo-- oh did I mention Wall Street?