Soldiers of Love
As someone dedicated to seeing a more just nation and world, I’ve often found myself fighting against things. In this issue of “For the 44th on the 4th,” graphic artist and illustrator, Justin West presents a t-shirt design which visualizes our collective state as Americans. In Justin’s image, I see our flag crying, bleeding or both. The image focuses on where we have been and where we now stand. Once these things are clear, we may envision fighting for something powerful and beautiful… like love.
FLAGGIN
JUSTIN WEST
Photo: IFETAYO ABDUS-SALAM Model: LILA ANTON .
ARTIST. STATEMENT.
The black flag with the tear drop is meant to symbolize the voices and feelings of this nation right now – the emotional stress we are going through. I made the image black and white because we are strong and, I believe, we will make it through.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
JUSTIN WEST is a young emerging talent in the art world. Justin, also know as JAYWEST, is directly influenced by New York City and his personal experiences. He creates works dealing with oppression in the black community; ideas of social identity, the choices and consequences of urban life and the early LA gang scene. A Surrealist and Pop Artist, he draws inspiration from many creative sources and incorporates their visual styles into his work, creating his own distinctive style. In his own words, “I am driven by love of seeing beautiful things come to life.”
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“For the 44th on the 4th” of March 2010: Soldiers of Love by M. Liz Andrews, Justin West, Ifetayo Abdus-Salam, Lila Anton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.
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