"The Cuckoo Nest", oil and india ink on wood, 24x48"

Now hanging on the walls at Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago. Prints are available in a limited edition of 100. They are 9x18"  giclee prints on archival paper. The original is $1500, and the prints are $75.00.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Atheist

It bothers me that the common perception of Atheists is that we are devil worshiping, evil people, with no morals or values. At the bottom of this page is a link to a refreshing study and an affront to that misperception.

As the study shows, Atheists simply do not need the threat of going to hell to convince them to do what is right.  They do it because this is how people should behave. Atheists do not worship the Devil. They do not believe in either a superior being or its evil counter part. They have no need of religion.


Atheists often see religion as an archaic way of teaching society the basic laws of behavior. Pretty much every religion shares the common message of treating our fellow people with kindness and not causing harm against them, and each has it's own frightening results of not minding the rules. Modern times brought people together to form governments, which laid down similar rules for citizens to follow with the threat of punishment if the rules were broken.  At this point religion lost its universal control over all the people of the land and it became a personal choice for one to follow, or not (depending on where you live). Fortunately, our country was founded by people who thought that men and women of all beliefs could live together peacefully as long as they obeyed the common laws of the land. This would be why they adamantly called for the separation of church and state. So that no singular religious types could oblige others to follow beliefs they did not share. (That is what churches and synagogues, etc.  are for...members of each religious organization should indeed follow the rules set forth by the interpreters of their holy books.). One needn't present examples to express their disgust over how very often those who are religious themselves fail to remain true to the standards of their beliefs.

Atheism is freedom from interpretation. It is the faith of believing in yourself and being responsible for all that you do. When one is true to themselves their character is strong and optimistic.  That's what this world needs. Not a collision of ideologies gripping over private issues, but people who are courteous to their neighbors, who lend a helping hand and kindly mind their own business.

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/04/30/religionandgenerosity/

                                                       The Cuckoo Nest

First painting of the year.  Inspired by the vast amount of Americans who've been laid off since the economic crash began.  Our jobs are being steadily wiped out. If you're still holding on to that job you've had for ten years, you are probably under paid, over worked, giving up benefits, and on the brink of losing your mind as you absorb the responsibilities of all those who've been let-go before you. It helps if you make airplane noises while viewing this. 

(The Cuckoo Nest, copyright 2012 Brian Morgn, india ink and acrylic paint on douglas fir, 24"x48", white wood frame)

 

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)

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!

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)

 "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.