DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. MATTERS?

[Artists Unite]

With Hillary back in the race she never left, we are wondering about the arts and everything else. What you think?

[PP]

To quote Clarissa Starling from the Silence Of The Lambs, "It matters." Maybe less so if you art is more aimed at your subconscious. But my art is often what I experience in the world. As we saw, inept George Bush wielded a lot of power; and his insanity is reflected in art. Now the debate between Hillary and Barrack has reached blue/red state proportions. I think Barrack is appealing to people's idealism which is probably affecting artists' work. Hillary appeals to me by having a competent woman (there, I said it) VISIBLE. I think I could relax some and do more personal work.

[Peter Ferko]

To me the president is like an underlying annoyance. So I agree with PP; it's hitting the subconscious. The French, according to the New York Times are getting annoyed with Sarkozy's lack of culture, the first uncultured French president. We've had to deal with a handful in my lifetime. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of Americans turning up their noses at intellectuals in general. Poland just switched top twins. I wonder what's going on there? And California has a governor with conservative party ties but liberal views.

[Anthony Gonzalez]

So much of the art I love seems to derive from artists attempting to exorcise their demons through their work. Tumultuous times, times of uncertainty, can stir up those demons, resulting in paroxysms of creativity. Who the president is has everything to do with the tenor of the times. Ironically, an artistic and intellectual cretin like Bush can be very stimulating for those of us with a neurotic need to have something to push back against.

[Peter Ferko]

I spent the majority of my life writing songs, although I am on some kind of hiatus from that. I found that when I was in good times, it was very hard to come up with anything to write about. The blues times were so prolific. So I understand what you're saying. My visual art practice is so much less tied to that emotional charge. And while I've made political art, it's not high on my motivational list. Interesting.