“What’s Left? What’s Right?,” an interdisciplinary exhibition of politically charged artworks by Dawn Hanson, leaves little question about where the artist stands in relation to the current presidential administration and conservative America at large.
The self-proclaimed Liberal Artist carries on a long lineage of creators who have used their work as forms of resistance and protest. “Hanson’s newest works provide less-than-subtle commentary on real-world ramifications of the last election. Without naming names, she shines a light on the absurdity, corruption and injustice in American politics today,” reads an exhibition statement on her website.
While subtlety is abandoned in favor of a forthright and didactic approach within “What’s Left? What’s Right?,” the work certainly brings visual voice to the outrage many Americans are experiencing in yet another “unprecedented era.”
Situated in the main entryway at McGuffey Art Center, an installation of black T-shirts with white lettering carry phrases including “Science Denier,” “Tax Evader,” and “Pussy Grabber.” While Hanson refrains from naming names, there is little doubt about the references. The installation, entitled “Dirty Laundry,” is an emphatic introduction to a show that eschews nuance to illustrate a critique of contemporary conservatism.
A trio of works addressing reproductive rights homes in on access to abortion and birth control. “Twist Her,” a large-scale quilted work and mixed-media diptych spoofs the classic party game Twister as “An outrageous game about access to abortion care.” “With Good Reason” contains a ring of clamshell birth control cases, each containing a reason to avoid pregnancy, ranging from the practical to the personal.
Flags are a theme that runs throughout the exhibition, including the “Kleptocracy Flag,” modeled after the flag of the United States with money symbols in place of stars, and hundred-dollar bills as stripes. “Distress Flag” displays an inverted U.S. flag—an orientation reserved for expressing extreme danger to life or property—with the common protest refrain “No Justice No Peace!” scrawled overtop. Overspray and dripping paint communicate the immediacy and DIY nature often associated with protest art.
The most understated, and therefore perhaps most engaging work in the show, is one that allows the viewer to arrive at the message through context and a little critical thought. “Keep Left” is a quilted work utilizing the iconographic language of road signs to deliver a message devoid of words yet full of meaning. Stark black-and-white fabrics are joined at seams containing a hint of fluorescent yellow that insinuates caution and safety within the alignment signifier.
While nearly all of the works in the exhibition are easily deciphered, and thus require little time or attention to understand, it is the energy and outrage underpinning most of the art that viewers should take to heart. Hanson fully acknowledges the lack of subtlety running through “What’s Left? What’s Right?” in a fire-meets-fire approach, recognizing that subtlety is surely not the hallmark of conservative ideologies.
“What’s Left? What’s Right?,” by Dawn Hanson (aka, The Liberal Artist), remains on view through March 30 at McGuffey Art Center. Staff photo.
