Ron Paul’s Visual Arts Revolution

Writes Steven Heller, co-chairman of the MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts, in the NY Times:

“Although Ron Paul may be mathematically out of contention for the Republican nomination, from what I can tell, he has inspired more do-it-yourself campaign graphics than any of the leading contenders from either party.

“In addition to the stickers and buttons produced by his campaign, the Web is full of independent artists and designers — professional and amateur alike — who have contributed unofficial graphics to what is known among his supporters as the ‘Ron Paul Revolution.’

“What is intriguing about this fervent grassroots response is how graphic styles designed to appeal to a youthful constituency have been built around Representative Paul’s grandfatherly appearance. Even some of the stylized poster portraits look more like those found on souvenir T-shirts commemorating someone’s retirement, or ‘the world’s best dad,’ than a political icon. Nonetheless the passion behind such an outpouring of good, bad and kitschy art and design cannot be ignored. So I tracked down a few of the artists and asked them to explain their work.” Read the rest.

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1:18 pm on March 26, 2008