Changing Your Culture

The second exhibition for 2016 was a well attended group exhibition at the Potemka Gallery in Leipzig.  This exhibition showcases the work of the gallery's artists and a few guests, me being one of them.  When I was asked to create a piece for this exhibition titled "Change Your Culture," I was not sure what to do.

After finally giving some time to see why the republican candidate Donald Trump was doing so well in the polls, I realized what I was going to explore.

Trump Trooper: NOT Making America Great Again, oil on canvas, 117 x 56 cm, ©Steve Lewis 2016

Looking down the barrel of a gun is the feeling we will have with Donald Trump as the next American president. This trooper flashing the “T” logo as a badge has been ordered to do the bidding of Trump in his efforts to "make America great again", but what consequence will this promise have for the world? We have already witnessed his sharp shooting words and verbal attacks on women, Mexicans, and Muslims during his campaign for the Republican candidacy. This image offers no hope of diplomacy. Having the Star Spangled Banner inversed as a symbol of distress and lying across the ground ironically charges this threatening propaganda. Ready for action, Trump’s trooper shamelessly stands upon the flag with complete disregard for which it stands, ignorant of the values that America is founded on. 

www.SteveLewisArt.com

©Steve Lewis 2016

Writing the Biography for for OSTRALE'O16

Biography:
Steve Lewis, who was born and raised in Dividing Creek, NJ, began oil painting while studying with Elsie Donaghay as a child. Under the tutelage of Judith Scull at Bridgeton High School, he learned new drawing and painting techniques that were employed to develop a body of work used to apply to art colleges. Lewis received a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Here he studied the figure and explored large scale painting with Joan Semmel and Billie Pritchard. During his undergraduate studies, he did a Junior Year Abroad at Reading University in Reading, England. Lewis traveled through Europe, which was a life changing experience and eventually led him to settle down in Leipzig, Germany. He returned to the United States to earn an MFA at Edinboro University in Edinboro, PA. There he worked closely with painters such as Rachael Harper and Steve Emmett. Although his paintings became increasingly abstract visually, the content and exploration of personal connections to family and friends was of great importance.

Lewis' paintings called Meta-Triptychs mark a return to figurative painting with a new use of narrative and focus mainly on Americana. He began developing this idea after reading about metamodernism and the Notes on Metamodernism by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker. Each of these paintings include three focal points within one narrative scene. There seems to be a break or a change in the flow of a normal event; where a surprise or something unexpected takes place. As one views the depicted moment in time, one ponders what has just taken place and what will happen next. This engagement with the painting is as much the art as the painted piece. The compositions are arranged in a manner whereby the viewers feel as though they are part of the environment or could easily imagine stepping into the scene – where they become part of the narrative for that moment and begin to contemplate what to do next.

Donald Trump's campaign to become the Republican candidate has ignited the production of new paintings expressing the fear of such a person leading America. The work visually provokes the viewer to contemplate what the effects of Trump's presidency would mean. His ruthless attacks and shameless accusations have never before been seen during political debates. The thought of his behavior during presidential meetings with world leaders is as terrifying as how he would handle domestic and international situations. Voters need to realize that the circus that has been playing out during this primary election is not funny anymore. Serious consideration should be given to how Trump could threaten the world. 

During OSTRALE ́O16, "error: X" can be interpreted as the many problems experienced and reported on daily around the world. The challenges we face personally, locally, nationally, and internationally are complex and intertwined. Through social media and the internet we are more informed but also more manipulated than ever before. Lewis' Americana paintings are products of living and producing art in this environment. It is important to tell personal stories, to visually capture important moments from our past, and share them in order to reconnect to our society. 

www.SteveLewisArt.com

©Steve Lewis 2016

Trump Trooper: NOT -Making America Great Again

Trump Trooper: NOT Making America Great Again, oil on canvas, 117 x 56 cm, ©Steve Lewis 2016

Looking down the barrel of a gun is the feeling we will have with Donald Trump as the next American president. This trooper flashing the “T” logo as a badge has been ordered to do the bidding of Trump in his efforts to "make America great again", but what consequence will this promise have for the world? We have already witnessed his sharp shooting words and verbal attacks on women, Mexicans, and Muslims during his campaign for the Republican candidacy. This image offers no hope of diplomacy. Having the Star Spangled Banner inverted as a symbol of distress and lying across the ground ironically charges this threatening propaganda. Ready for action, Trump’s trooper shamelessly stands upon the flag with complete disregard for which it stands, ignorant of the values that America is founded on. 

www.SteveLewisArt.com

©Steve Lewis 2016

Fearing Support: States of America

State of America III, oil on canvas, 60 x 40 cm, ©Steve Lewis 2016

State of America I, oil on canvas, 50 x 40 cm, ©Steve Lewis 2016

The United States election of 2016 has been hijacked by Donald Trump. His bigotry and shrewdness is hardly as terrifying as the support he has received from the American people. How he has managed to stay in the lead is frightening for many around the world. One only needs to tune in to a Republican debate to see the type of person he is and how dangerous he could be as a leader. His bullying tactics and disrespectful words have won the support of a public who is tired of the establishment and excited to see this non-political bombshell turn Washington upside down. Trump has tapped into key issues and self-proclaimed to be the only candidate capable of finding the solutions. His confidence and repetitive statements are cheered even when no real plans have been offered. Seeking approval by spreading hate and fear should repulse voters rather than attract them. Drudging up the worst in society is the most disgusting and horrifying aspect of this election. Trump has made this "us vs. them" mentality acceptable and to many correct. To "Make America Great Again," Trump is announcing who and what is to blame for making it so awful and igniting the voters' national pride, which runs dangerously deep and strong in all Americans whether they want to admit it or not, to get them on his side. An American society afraid of not being as great as it believes it should be is dangerous. One that is being fed messages which demonize others is terrifying. These paintings are visual reactions to Trump, his campaign, and the shock of his overwhelming and blind support. These ghosts lurking in the darkness or posing as in family portraits represent this fear for what may come.

www.SteveLewisArt.com

©Steve Lewis 2016