A bunch of artists suffering from hysteria have had their work exhibited in South Florida, in a show called “Thoughts on Democracy” and meant to echo Norman Rockwell’s WWII “Four Freedoms” series.
Here, for example, is Rockwell’s tribute to freedom of speech:
Here’s the NYT’s description of some of the 21st century works playing off Rockwell:
In Guillermo Kuitca’s rendition of Rockwell’s image of parents putting their small children to bed, the family is surrounded by a sea of blackness. In James Victore’s remake, tears burst from the parents’ eyes as they pull an American flag over a wooden coffin.
What all of this suggests is not just a reinterpretation of Rockwell but a meditation on an American crisis of self-confidence: the sense that trust in American ideals is giving way to fear and uncertainty about how they are exploited.
The artists display an astonishing sensibility:
Many of the artists interviewed said they felt that now was not the time to emphasize American greatness, as Rockwell did, but rather to caution people about the risks of complacency. They said they created the posters because they loved their country — about two-thirds of the 60 are American — but felt that their fellow citizens needed to wake up, to break free from anxiety and a habit of looking away.
Right! The artists are screaming that America has lost its way and is surrounded by a sea of darkness—and then they (and the NYT’s Damien Cave) marvel at Americans’ apparent apathy:
In the mall at least, the artists’ instincts seemed to be borne out. In an hour and a half, more than 100 people walked by the exhibit. Only 8 stopped to look.
“People don’t care anymore,” said David Babich, 31, one of the few who lingered, gazing at the prints. “They aren’t as affected by stuff that happens.”
And when were “people” ever affected by (important) “stuff” that “happens”? Never, and at least Cave has the decency to remind NYT readers that apathy is a constant throughout human history:
Nostalgia for World War II has often obscured what the era’s most famous war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, once wrote during a visit home: “A great many people don’t know there’s a war on, or don’t seem to care.”
It was ever thus.
Also: these “works of art” are being displayed at a goddamn mall! What kind of idiot expects shoppers to stop in their tracks and mourn what has become of their country … when they just got a 50% discount on some T-shirts at the Gap?
