Monday, December 26, 2011

Revolution 2012

 

Inciteful


Officer John Pike has struck a chord with our national psyche. The images of Pike casually pepper-spraying a group of college students as they peacefully protested signaled a disconnect between the power holders and the powerless majority.

When FOX News aired its coverage on the pepper-spraying attack, correspondent Megyn Kelly said “it’s a food product essentially...” and fellow correspondent Bill O’Reilly responded with, “we shouldn’t be Monday morning quarter-backing the police anyway...its a liberal campus.”

In this way, FOX News deliberately misleads viewers into believing that being liberal somehow warrants police abuse. Studies show that those who watch FOX News know less about current events and answer more questions incorrectly than those who watch or listen to no news at all. 

I felt it necessary to make the connection between the ignorance and violent nature of this officers actions and the inciteful rhetoric that is the mainstay of Fox News. 

(Inciteful, india ink with vinyl and acrylic paint on birch wood, with raw steel frame, 24x24x1.5" copyright 2011 Brian Morgan)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Revolution 2012


 

"Citizens United vs. FEC" vinyl and acrylic paint with india ink on Birch wood, raw steel frame, 24x24x1.5 copyright 2011 Brian Morgan


While hundreds of thousands of Americans are being laid-off, or taking pay cuts, people at the top of the economic ladder are reaping record profits and sharing none of the wealth.  If the Occupy Wall Street movement is about anything, it is about this economic inequality. The recent 2010 Supreme Court decision for Citizens United vs. The Federal Election Committee grants corporations the same rights as people and therefore has opened the floodgates for corporate spending on elections.  Now, corporate money can control whom we have in office and what they do when they get there. All in the name of keeping the rich richer. This corporate greed and power is threatening to control our democracy. If the Supreme Court believes that a corporation is a person, then this painting is my interpretation of what that person looks like.

Mother Jones just wrote a story about this today (12/15/11) and it supports this very scary interpretation of the law.  Corporations are not people.  Real people do not have hundreds of millions of dollars which they can give to political parties so they'll pass laws allowing them to abuse their neighbor's rights and health.  If the Supreme Court wants to consider corporations people, then they should also consider a reasonable cap on campaign donations.  Something that all real people could have an equal chance at donating, so that all people have an equal voice in their government. A cap of say $100.00 per citizen.  By publicly financing campaigns and providing ANY citizen with the ability to use that money for their election bid, the game would be open to the hundreds of thousands of honest businessmen and women, educators, environmentalists, and hard working middle-class Americans to run for office. 

It is time that we are governed by people who actually represent what is best for the people of the nation as a whole.  No more rich guys bickering over ridiculous religious ideologies while sending our young and vulnerable citizens to die in wars that these pricks profit from heavily. Dick Chenney boasted about super-profits for his Halliburton corporation which runs most of the domestic needs for the troops. A contract the Bush Administration handed over at more than twice the highest bidding estimate of any other contender for that contract.

Some people think the government is itself the problem. The real problem is that a majority of those in government are simply cronies for the big business' of this country. Or they are simply top people from those companies who temporarily relinquish their positions so that they can get into office and make sure their companies get those super profits...like Dick Chenney.  These politicians, mostly Republicans, serve only their corporate donor's needs and make a heafty profit for doing so.

Remove the donors and give back our representatives, and throw out the dicks!


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Daley T-Shirts and more...just in time for the holidays!

 This shirt is screen printed from an original painting titled, "Meter Remains As A Courtesy To Cyclists."  An honor and a scorn to our loved and hated Mayor of 21 years, Richard M. Daley.
Also available are limited edition 11x14" giclee prints.  Shirts $20 ("Alternative" brand 67% poly/33% cotton), prints $65 (fine art archival paper)

 These shirts were run a few years back while the Bush Administration was trying to forcibly monitor our library activity.  You may remember John Ashcroft testifying to Congress about the troublesome resistance they were getting from the men and women who serve as the custodians of our literary world.  Without any sign of laughter, he declared our Country to be unsafe due to these..."radical, militant Librarians" who would not hand over public library records pertaining to our borrowing habits.  Only 4 shirts left, 2 each of large and x-tra large for both styles...$10ea. (Hanes cotton)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

 "Fixie"
" Elotes Locos"
 "High Roller"
 "Major Taylor"
 "Pigeon Run"
 "Windy City Scorchers"
"It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times"


Here is a preview of the show:

"Momentum Wild: The Art of Urban Cycling"
Opening reception Friday, July 15th, 2011
6-9pm
1389 N.Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
 Runs through August 28th

PBR ,other beverages and "orderves" will be served.  Seriously, why'd we borrow that word from the French and not Americanize the spelling?  "Hor Dourves" ohh, so very chic! 
Any way, the "Fixie" guy's prosthetic wheel thing will be there!   Yep, and lots of prints of all the work.  Come by and take a look and have some PBR on me.  Word. 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

A couple bad-asses nearing completion.

Here on the easel is 'Major' Taylor ripping some holes in the space-time continuum of 1899. I had a lot of fun throwing the speed lines for that one.  Using tape to mask off his body and bike, the vinyl paint was kind of 'rhythmically thrown 'Jackson Pollack' style. Its really a joy to paint that way once you learn to control flying paint lines!


Same goes for the fun blue lines breezing around the one-footed man all inner-tubed to his home-made prosthetic bike leg.  That one is called, "Fixie."  Inspired by the Flogging Molly's song, "Float," ...a sample of the lyics:

"Singled out for who you are
It takes all types to judge a man
Feel, that's all you can.
Ah, but don't, no don't sink the boat
That you built, you built to keep afloat." 

In this case, he floats the concrete oceans of life.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Got the Dirtbombs blasting away on the Yamaha.  Starting a new piece about Marshall 'Major' Taylor, 1899 World Cycling Champion.

I'm searching for an explosion of speed in this ode to one bad-ass cyclist.  A man who rose to the top during the turn of the last century...despite being an African American. He was raised in Indiana, starts riding in his late teens and wins his first race at age 22. Racism keeps his name and a couple of cycling's fastest records off the charts in 1896, but in 1899 he breaks his own record for a 1:19 mile win for the World Championship and the World record.  

Eventually he travels to Europe and makes a hell of an impression, as well as a lot of good friends. He continues to race at the top until around 1904.  Then, sadly, poor business decisions and illness leave him pennyless and he winds up living in the YMCA downtown Chicago.  Where he dies at age 53.

I hope I can do him justice in this painting, he deserved much more.

http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/who.htm

Sunday, March 27, 2011

  Elotes Locos, vinyl & acrylic w/india ink on mason board, 38x28" , framed in black.
                   Pigeon Run, vinyl & acrylic paint w/india ink on wood, 60x26"
                   High Roller,  vinyl & acrylic paint w/india ink on wood, 47x26"

Here are three new pieces finished and ready for the July opening of my one man show:       

"Momentum Wild"

Take flight on the Urban Machine through an exploration of the most versatile mode of urban transportation.  From the street vendor to the obscure rat bikes, Chicago is a city of cycling strength, courage, and ingenuity. 

More work on its way!

Friday, February 11, 2011

 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/02/11/daley-honored-criticized-in-art-exhibit/

Made a spot on the Channel 2 local news Friday morning.  This is a link to it. They show the Daley piece and the exhibit.  My first 15 seconds of fame.  Hopefully the other 14 min. 45 sec. are in the brew machine.

More work on the way.  Like a mad dog hammering away in the studio.  Working on a Tall bike rider with a Purple Crate  Schwinn as the tricked out ride....photos to come.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Thanks everyone for attending the opening on the coldest night of the winter!  Turned out to be a really good crowd.  You all are super awesome!  This is a link to a pic of some of the artists posted on Flicker...http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomcatace86/5379360800/in/photostream/

Thank you to those of you who have posted on this blog!  I can not figure out how to respond to you individually.  The comments area simply doesn't post my responses.  I've no idea why.    Your comments are very appreciated and I sincerely thank you for taking the time to look at my work and make a comment.  Cheers to you all!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

work in progress...


"Elotes Locos," vinyl paint and india ink on mason board, 24x36"

About a year ago I saw the man who inspired this painting.  He was rolling lazily along the paths of Humboldt Park on his way to meet up with some other vendors nearby. He's been brewing in my head ever since.  I'm planning on doing the lettering in blue and red, hand written, like you see on the local carts.  Some more inking to do, but the gist of it is here.  Another piece for the show this July. 

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Group show opening Friday, Jan 21st

This Friday the 21st. Jackson Junge Gallery is hosting what should be a pretty amusing take on the tenure of our own sweet love him/hate him Mayor Richard J. Daley.  Opening reception is at 1389 N. Milwaukee from 6-9pm (just south of Damen/North/Milwaukee EL stop).  Refreshments and good times will be served.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

After selling everything I made this year, I am working feverishly to build up a new body of work for a solo show slated to open this July.  The work will be based on the theme of the bicycle and it's many uses in the urban landscape.  I am inspired by sleek, fast, gnarly messengers, food vendors and their customized mobile resturaunts, the clowns on the tall bike contraptions, and of course, the Latino's in Humbodlt Park with their bad-ass low-riders and chromed up cruisers.  Here, I am working on the first of the series for the show.  These cyclists are sending a flock of pigeons into flight.