However, it does provide a Syracuse venue for an artist with many connections to our city. The ArtRage exhibit isn't a premiere for "7 Deadly Sins." It was first hung during 2019 at the Center for Contemporary Political Art located in Washington, D. For "Vanity," Atseff wrote that "Trump, thou art, a beslubbering, motley-minded, lout." This insult is paired with four quotes in which Trump praises himself.Īmong other things, the artist's comments spell out his contempt for Trump's persona and policies and make it clear that he's enraged by the events of the last three-and-a-half years. In "Wrath," the artist states that "Trump, thou art a villainous, tickle- brained, bully-rag." It's followed by a statement from Trump emphasizing the importance of getting even with people. The oil seems to refer both to Donald Trump and to political thinkers who argue that democracy is an inefficient, outdated system.īeyond that, the "7 Deadly Sins" paintings are accompanied by brief statements from Atseff and relevant quotes from Trump. It features a dark background and a shadowy figure who places a crown on his head. "Crown of Thorns," another 2020 artwork, takes a drastically different approach. At the top of the work, look for small images of President Trump and other politicians as well as "Kaboom" in cartoon lettering. ![]() Indeed, the painting integrates multiple elements such as sticks of dynamite, an alarm clock, hogs crowding in to eat, and lemmings. The metaphor of a clock is used to communicate how close we are to total destruction.Ītseff deals with this concept in concrete terms. Rather, the ArtRage exhibition reflects the artist's ability to skillfully design and execute a painting.Ĭonsider another 2020 work," 100 Seconds to Midnight." There Atseff references the work of a group of scientists who each year evaluate the threat to humanity's future posed by nuclear weapons, tensions on the world scene, militarism and obstinate leaders. Yet, size isn't a primary factor in the show's appeal. In addition, "Gluttony," one of the best pieces in the exhibit, presents a wild caricature of Trump plus red, white and colors and four brief texts embodying Trump's compulsive use of Twitter.Ĭlearly, Atseff benefits from working on a full-size canvas instead of the postage-stamp format available to most editorial cartoonists. At the very bottom, Trump's signature blots out the names of the document's signers. "Redact," a 2020 work not part of the "7 Deadly Sins" group, displays the U.S. In "Lust," the scales of justice are tossed on the floor. ![]() The artist is deeply concerned about the impact of the Trump presidency on the operations of a free press and other media, on the environment, on the future of political discourse in the United States.Īnd so, Atseff works with motifs that signify the serious nature of examining Trump's tenure in the White House: police tape, American flags typically hung upside down, torn-up presidential seals, and more. However, even as Atseff offers an absurdist, sometimes comical view of Trump, that's not the sum total of the exhibit. "Wrath," meanwhile, portrays him as a swaggering bully. ![]() In a third painting titled "Sloth," he sits on a couch watching television and holding a remote. In "Lust," he's a twisted creature sitting on a throne. In "Envy," he appears with a greenish face and a stripped garment surely meant to suggest a prison uniform. In this series of seven paintings, the pieces are large (48" by 60''), bold, full of vivid colors and depictions of Trump as a grotesque figure. Most of the works in the exhibition connect Donald Trump to various sins including gluttony, vanity and lust. "7 Deadly Sins: A Trump Dystopian Heptology," Tim Atseff's one-man show at the ArtRage Gallery, operates with a hybrid structure, blending the caricatures and provocation of political cartooning with the size and breadth of fine-art painting.
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