Every country has it's Circus. In America, the circus is politics. This series explores the reality show spectacle that is modern day American politics.
The Spider is Donald Trump. I chose to represent Trump with a spider because a spider lives to hunt. So much in fact, some spiders don't waste time spinning webs. They hunt prey constantly and are always in motion. A deadly spider should not be taken lightly. A few drops of poisonous venom from a spider bite can kill the strongest man; much the way a single man of power can take down a Nation. It's ironic really, people either love or hate spiders, the same way they love or hate Trump.
This painting is simply entitled, The Hornet." Originally, I intended to represent Hillary with a killer bee. Until my father-in-law suggested she was a hornet; because the hornet feeds on the bee. Hornets, unlike other wasps, feed on live insects, including killer bees. The "Queen" hornet is the only to survive winter and she builds a new nest every spring where she rears a large generation of workers but reserves the right, exclusively, to lay eggs. Like many wasps, a hornet can mobilize the entire nest to sting in defense. Except a hornet can sting multiple times and does not die after stinging a human. While I'd like to say this painting is neither an endorsement nor criticism of Hillary, that would be a giant lie. If elected, she'll devour our remaining freedoms like the hornet devours a fly.
This portrait needs no introduction; most people recognize the face of Bernie Sanders. Simply entitled "The Cockroach," I chose to represent Bernie with this primitive insect because its strength lies in numbers. Extremely collective by nature, the cockroach is a generalized insect that lacks special adaptations. Common and durable, the cockroach can tolerate a wide range of environments. Most cockroach species exhibit elaborate social structures involving common shelter, social dependence, and information transfer; some pretty common themes in socialistic styles of government. In classical antiquity, cockroaches are depicted as dirty pests although a great majority of cockroach species are inoffensive. Most of all, cockroaches exhibit different behaviors when reared in isolation verses in a group. This means they appear to have constituted a behavioral syndrome related to conformity and collective decision-making. Once again, this painting is not an endorsement or criticism of Bernie Sanders or his political style. Rather, it is a broader commentary on the circus act that is modern day politics in the United States. I hope it inspires relevant conversation.
This portrait is Ted Cruz, America's "liberty loving sweetheart." I chose to represent Cruz with a Tree Frog because all tree frogs share one united feature, an invisible claw in the last bone of their toes. Along with toe pads and long legs, the tree frog has superior grasping ability and can hang, undetected, in trees and high vegetation, safe from lurking predators. Many can also change color and fade in to the backdrop of their surroundings. I also added a little extra friend to Cruz's portrait, to represent (well...I'm curious what you think?) I probably should make it clear, this is not an endorsement or criticism of Ted Cruz; so, for all you lovers and haters, look a little deeper. This series is a broader commentary on the reality show spectacle of modern day American politics. What is on the surface isn't always what's underneath.
