Be Good Do Good

My new political poster, Be Good do Good, was commissioned by Anne Brown of The Arts Company. She asked me to do an American flag piece and said with a smirk, “But do a positive one.” So this is what I came up with - a limited edition of only 7 screen printed posters of an American flag made in the shape of an eagle with the text, “Be Good Do Good.”

For the philosophical among you - Of course I understand that what is considered good for some is sometimes not good for others. Fortunately, this poster assumes some basic truths or common sense.
Robert M. Pirsig wrote,
“And what is good, Phaedrus,
And what is not good—
Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?”

On Thursday, July 2nd come by the Arts Company during Art After Hours between 5:00 - 8:00 pm. I will be there and so will the artwork of Brother Mel, Myles Maillie, Norris Hall, and Bob McGill.

Barack Obama and Mr. Fish

These wonderful art cartoons are by Mr Fish! Dwayne Booth (Mr. Fish) is a regular cartoon contributor to the print edition of the LA Weekly, and he also maintains Catch of the Day, a daily cartoon blog for the Weekly’s website. Dwayne has contributed a number of written features for the Weekly, is a weekly cartoonist for Harpers.org, and a featured cartoonist in Daryl Cagle’s cartoon archive at MSNBC.com.

Thank you Mr Fish!

Stimulus Package: Recession to Depression

I just finished printing my stimulus piece with the help of Dominique and the serigraph turned out well. Like the stimulus package, the artwork is large, but unlike the stimulus the price is small. My stimulus poster speaks for itself, but below are some enlightening words from Ron Paul and a video discussing why he believes the stimulus funding is a destructive policy. Here is the original story: Stimulus Packages Will Turn Recession Into A Depression

“This stimulus package is going to cost each and every American $6700 of more debt, so how can that be beneficial? If debt was the answer we would of never had a problem.”

“It’s because the government is spending it. If the people were spending it it would be fine, but the government never does anything productive. They have to take money from productive individuals and spend it in non productive ways, so it’s just digging a bigger hole, getting us into bigger debt, and that is the problem.”

“What we’re worried about right now, well certainly I am, is that it’s worse than the 30’s because we’re on the verge of destroying the dollar. So if you think the financial crisis is bad, and the financial system isn’t working, wait ’til you find out when the Dollar doesn’t work.”

“If you want to regulate, regulate Government agencies, regulate the Treasury, regulate the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has no oversight, they’re not even permitted to be audited by law, so that’s the kind of oversight we need. The Federal Reserve has committed trillions of dollars to individuals, corporations and banks, they don’t even have to tell us where it’s gone to.” Ron Paul

Matters of Substance

Helvetica is the obvious choice for this poster’s typography! If you have not seen it yet, please watch Helvetica: A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit. Helvetica is an independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture.

The poster lists no matters of substance discussed by the major media and politicians because there are no matters of importance discussed by them. Sure, fundamental questions are raised on occasion, but no real or honest solutions are ever met due to the fact that questions of substance are not allowed to be asked. The media even go so far as to proclaim some of these debates, negotiations or bills as a victory for the American citizen, but nothing is accomplished that has any long lasting or far reaching effect for the Average American.

Not true you say? If problems are solved due to government involvement, then answer just one of the following questions. Why is it that we always have higher taxes? Why is the gap between the rich and poor widening. Why does the national debt continue to rise? Why do we still start trillion dollar wars? Why does our government send the military to bomb and kill innocent men, women, children and babies? Why is the average American struggling under the yoke of a carefree Uncle and a deceptive banking system? Why do the politicians disregard the people they are suppose to represent? If greed and power were American family values then perhaps our politicians would embody us as a people. One cannot represent whom one does not understand. And one will represent but himself if one cares but for himself.

Oh, Forgive me. I have forgotten that there has been an election! This time it is different, you say, because THIS multi-millionaire, lifetime politician really understands the American people.

Artrageous Nashville

What: Artrageous Popsicles and Grenades - Art Truth and Politics Show featuring 18 New Posters by Jorge Arrieta

When: Artrageous: 11.8.08 Nashville’s largest indoor charity event

Where: The Arts Company: Avant Garage

Founded in 1987 as a benefit for Nashville CARES, Artrageous® has raised more than $2 million for the support of AIDS education and services in Middle Tennessee. A group of Nashville’s most prominent gallery owners began the event as a response to the AIDS epidemic and its devastating impact on the arts community.

I will suspend 18 new political posters from the ceiling of the Avant Garage of the Arts Company for this one night special event only! These are all very limited edition signed and numbered prints. Some of the posters to be on display can be viewed by clicking on the Propaganda link at the top of the page. I have even set up a FREE download of smaller versions of all of the posters on popsicles and grenades!

There is a drawing for a free poster of your choice, but only at the Artrageous event. Get your Artrageous tickets and help support a worthy cause while having a wonderful time with unique art.

Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils?

Wow! How important is the 2004 testimony video with Clinton Curtis about election hacking! Obviously, not important enough to politicians, who have done nothing to correct the problems with these voting machines. Today, on election day, will the facade of democracy continue to fool Americans into believing that everyone in America has a voice? One thing is certain, people are turning out in record numbers indicating that the media has once again waged a successful campaign to control your mind.

There is a great poster titled “Neither One” (of these men will bring real ‘change’) on pjchiel’s flicker page. Read the comments and scroll down to see some important links to articles that discuss the political fundamentals of these two men (especially Obama) on sites like this one by Carl Finamore and Mark T. Harris titled, “What Will an Obama Presidency Bring?”

Vote for the lesser of two evils if you want to confirm your support for evil and submit to the will of the Republicans and Democrats. Let us not forget how we arrived here on this ship of political turmoil - by voting for more of the same. We all want to believe in great change or peace and hope for a better world, but when one deafly follows political rhetoric that is all one gets - more talk and more war and more taxes and more government and less freedom. This poster symbolizes the hypnotic affect that results from the constant media coverage of the Republicans and Democrats where emotion and fear reign over logic and reason.

So every year people go to the voting booth and blindly vote for someone just because they are a Democrat or a Republican. Most people actual believe that there is a difference between the two Republicrat system. These politicians are ALL extremely wealthy and have strong ties to the largest corporations who actually control American policy. Perhaps, there was a time when these parties had important distinctions and unique differences, but those days are fading along with our civil liberties.

So I ask you, will you choose reason and wisdom or selfish emotion and fear? Either way, will your vote even count?

Jorge Arrieta’s Art on C-SPAN.org

The Debate has brought many different people, organizations and media to the Nashville area including C-SPAN. The show the Art of Politics, currently on exhibit at The Art’s Company, is displaying some of my work that has received attention and a video about the show on the C-SPAN website. Just go here and wait a moment for the page to load and click on the video named The Art of Politics 2008 in the right hand column. If you are unable to make it to the show please check out the link above where you will be able to get a good idea of what the show is about. Like most anything though, the art is better experienced first hand at the gallery in downtown Nashville.

I am a Sheep - I will vote Democrat or Republican

“Every election season America is presented with a series of false choices. Should we launch preemptive wars against this country or that one? Should every American neighborhood live under this policy or that one? Should a third of our income be taken away by an income tax or a national sales tax?”(Ron Paul) Do you see the problem with this? Are we to assume that these are our only options? So we should have a third of our income taken away! There is no option to take less money away. The debate is centered around who gets our money and we are left scratching our heads.

“And so every four years we are treated to the same tired, predictable routine: two candidates with few disagreements on fundamentals pretend that they represent dramatically different philosophies of government… But conservatives (and liberals) are told that they must support these candidates, and so they do, hoping for the best and nothing changes.” (Ron Paul)

The 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center is Tuesday, October 7th at 8pm. We will be protesting the two party media bias and the sheep that it produces. I have designed and printed t-shirts and bought masks that symbolize the public at large who blindly follow whoever the media propaganda machine tells them to trust without even using common sense. The media is so relentless that the public is fooled into believing that these politicians will fulfill everyone’s hopes and desires.

The action is to demonstrate how most people have resigned themselves to a herd mentality and follow the group or their “leaders” without thinking. The irony is that although we will be dressed as sheep we will think independently, question our leaders and follow only truth. So the goal is to spread the word that everyone of us, whether Democrat, Republican or Independent has the duty to question authority and the right to seek truth, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Our mission then is to open the public’s eyes to the tragedy that is the current political system in America. We will resist tyranny through education. Truth is American. Let us not continue to be led astray by the powerful few who are concerned only for themselves, but remove our masks of ignorance and march together toward unity. For more info  jorge@popsiclesandgrenades.com

Bail Out America- It’s Pork Time

The mortgage and housing Bail out poster does not discriminate, but calls it like it is: This bill is filled with pork that only bankers, unethical corporations and politicians could stomach.

Once again the average American citizen will be forced to carry the burden of the money masters and without any choice because our “representatives” in government do not serve the will of the people, but speak only for the wealthy.

The great American Bail Out Cook Out has begun and your are not invited, but you will get the bill.

How does that make you feel?