Top 10 Ways To Tell The World You Hate George W. Bush
In many places, it is the highest honor for a leader to be portrayed artistically in public. Whether through a portrait or statue or monument, nations find it necessary to immortalize their heroes. In Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao can be seen looking down on his people, watching them carefully, beaming with pride. In Washington D.C., Americans can go visit Honest Abe, who sits forever watching his nation’s capital. In London’s Trafalgar Square, British military hero Lord Nelson stands atop a column as though he is eternally protecting his native England. We are all familiar with art celebrating the contributions of the world’s most popular leaders. But what interests me is the art that does the opposite. In every place you find a statue honoring a president, premier or general, you will also find art that belittles, defaces and shames national figures. As the leader of the free world and one of the more unpopular international figures, U.S. President George W. Bush has become a target for such artistic expression. All over the world, wherever I go, I find myself face-to-face with walls covered in anti-Bush graffiti, bathrooms scribbled with “Fuck Bush” and stop signs urging me to stop Bush. Over the last few years, for reasons not difficult to comprehend, Bush has become an object of hate for people all over the world. Needless to say, this hatred lends itself to some fairly captivating and diverse art.
The Top 10 Ways To Tell The World You Hate George W. Bush