Fresh off her recent Bottega campaign starring A$AP Rocky, Carrie Mae Weems – the artist best known for her iconic Kitchen Table Series (1990) exploring themes of systemic racism and inequality – has unveiled a new billboard for Kamala Harris. Titled “Leading with compassion, not complaint”, the artwork features black and white images of Harris with the title as its caption.
The artwork is part of a series of commissions as part of the Artists For Democracy campaign, which is co-chaired by Weems and aims to “motivate people to go to the polls this election year and to reframe, reclaim and recontextualise concepts like ‘freedom’, ‘patriotism’, and ‘the American Way’.”
In the coming months, Artists For Democracy 2024 will reveal billboards in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, including an organisation-wide campaign with radio PSAs, on the ground organisers, targeted digital ads and art activations.
Recently, the organisation also unveiled a portrait of Harris by Los Angeles-based visual artist Victoria Cassinova, which carries the message, “Our fight for the future is a fight for our freedom“. Other artists involved in the campaign include Shepard Fairey, Beverly McIver, Titus Kaphar, Hank Willis Thomas, Christine Sun Kim, Alyson Shotz, Amalia Mesa-Baines, Angelica Muro, and Cleon Peterson.
“Artists For Democracy is working with world-renowned and iconic political artists to create art with one central message: we have to defeat Trump to save our democracy,” reads a statement. “These images will appear on billboards in key swing states as we approach election day. We’re also raising resources with art sales, so we can support local activists working to drive voter turnout. With the help of our artists, activists, and members like you, we will protect our freedoms and prevent a Trump dictatorship once and for all.”
Take a look at Weems’ billboard below.
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- Source of information and images “dazeddigital”“
