This Project was a Collaborative Effort:
DESIGN: Nick Adam | TRUMP YELLING PHOTO: Gage Skidmore, Modified Under CC BY-SA 2.0
TRUMP POINTING PHOTO: Reuters, Dominick Reuter, Used Under Limited License
RISO PRINTING: Printed by Nick Adam at Chicago Design Museum | PAPER: Mohawk
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT:
Limited Poster Sets: Proceeds are donated directly to Hillary for America | Bumper Sticker: MoveOn
PROJECT CONCEPT:
This project is a reaction to the Trump platform — ground swell of hate, bigotry, racism, sexual abuse, and anti-intellectualism. With every passing day and each speech or tweet he makes, all I can think is: this isn't us. The America I know is so much better than this.
The protest sign was designed and produced to be held at the Trump presidential campaign rally planned for March 11, 2016, at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
After canceling the Chicago protest, Trump was quoted saying 'these guys, they had professional signs'. As if a well produced sign is something beyond that of citizenry.
The sign was captured on Fox News, MSNBC, ABC NEWS, as well, Senior Washington correspondent, Jeffrey Zeleny tweeted the image to his 83,000 followers then spoke to it's presence live on CNN.
HARLOW: I mean, seems it already is, frankly, a tinder box, Jeff. And you tweeted this image last night. If we could pull it up.
POPPY HARLOW: Very powerful image last night. Talk to me about it.
JEFFREY ZELENY: I was struck just by the diversity of the crowd outside, Poppy. I mean, Donald Trump says that they were all organized thugs. That's not what I saw at all. You saw black and white, young and old, Hispanic and Latino, and this picture here of a young white man holding up a sign. "This isn't us."
POPPY HARLOW: Very powerful image last night. Talk to me about it.
JEFFREY ZELENY: I was struck just by the diversity of the crowd outside, Poppy. I mean, Donald Trump says that they were all organized thugs. That's not what I saw at all. You saw black and white, young and old, Hispanic and Latino, and this picture here of a young white man holding up a sign. "This isn't us."
This work connects to design theorist Abram Game’s thoughts on successful posters, as documented in the History of Graphic Design from Phillip Meggs, chapter 14—Post Cubist Pictorial Modernist.
"A poster with a measure of intrigue engages the mind of the spectator and (they) look again. You have to take (them) along with you so (they) follow your line of thought. The best way I can describe what happens is to say that as the designer you wind the spring, and it is released in the mind of the viewer." —Abram Game
The poster within a poster simply demonstrates a civilian protest against ideals that are not representative of the United States. In a manner, here we question his motives and tactics by meeting inflammatory speech with equally strong actions, thus countering aggression.
In a critical design fashion, the piece balances aesthetics with conceptual merit uniting the worlds of the formalist and theorist. This occurs through being built in accordance to technical, formal harmonies while consciously responding and creating dialogue on our cultural context.
As a presidential candidate he rejects both reason and fact. There are the two critical pieces needed to possesses a point of view. Without them it is not political correctness he challenges, it is purely not knowing what he is talking about.
This lack of diplomacy and hate-filled speech seems to be a growing anti-intellectual movement. A movement focused on turning away from innovation, the return to the good ol' boy days.
Trump's language, discourse, and ideas towards the future of the world are among the most assaulting of any politician and lack awareness. A Trump presidency is not an option towards a peace-filled future of opportunity, equality, and innovation.
As Americans—citizenry, politicians, big and small businesses—must start taking a stand against hate, violence, lies, and the actions Trump speaks of and represents.
This work is about being pro-America and standing up against fears that compromise American ideals. These images are not pro-Bernie nor pro-Hilary, they are not pro or con, Democratic or Republican. They are efforts of anti-racism and anti-hate, this is an anti-Trump campaign. As he violates American principles.
Project Deliverables:
Concepting, Strategy, Creative Direction, Advertising Campaign, Poster Series, Graphic Design, Media Planning, Media Placement
This Project was a Collaborative Effort:
DESIGN & DIRECTION: Nick Adam | TRUMP YELLING PHOTO: Gage Skidmore, Modified Under CC BY-SA 2.0
TRUMP POINTING PHOTO: Reuters, Dominick Reuter, Used Under Limited License
RISO PRINTING: Printed by Nick Adam at Chicago Design Museum | PAPER: Mohawk
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT:
Bumper Sticker: MoveOn | Limited Poster Sets: Coming Soon
EXHIBITED AT:
AIGA's Get Out The Vote —
Philadelphia's Art Gallery at City Hall and The Galleries at Cleveland State University
Philadelphia's Art Gallery at City Hall and The Galleries at Cleveland State University
Fine Art of the Risograph —
Partnership Between Hallagan Business Machines and Chicago Design Museum
LECTURED AT:
Dominican University
Chicago's Trump protest at the UIC Pavilion was a demonstration of America's most segregated city uniting against a real fear. The success of the protest can be attributed to the over 43,000 undergraduate and graduate students that signed the petition asking UIC to cancel the rally and the over 10,000 Chicagoland residents that attended the rally in protest. Protestors included, Chicagoans of every class and race, UIC faculty, the Black Student Union, the Muslim Student Association, the Fearless Undocumented Association, Black Lives Matter, Assata's Daughters, and BYP100.
