Art show takes on political theme to provide nonpartisan humor

Diane Bush is in the middle of a nearly yearlong art project that involves galleries across the valley and artists from across the country working in a variety of styles and techniques featuring a subject nearly everyone is simultaneously sick of and deeply interested in: the 2016 presidential election.

Bush describes the show — or rather series of shows, called “Dishing It Out 2016” — as a yearlong socially engaged and satirical art project that hopes to provide nonpartisan election media relief through art, humor and voter registrations. Artists are invited to submit artwork, depicting any of16 2016 presidential candidates who entered the race or depicting American politics in general. The tone of the works vary greatly, and although none of the pieces is particularly brutal, it’s unlikely any of the candidates will be asking to use it on their campaign posters.

“I’ve been doing political works for a long time,” Bush said. “I was really involved in the anti-war movement in the ’60s. The election season was coming, and I thought, ‘When else do I have the chance to do art that is overtly political and have it make sense?’ ”

Although the show is nonpartisan, Bush stands firmly on the left as evidenced by her 2008 art event “The Imbleachment of George W. Bush,” in which the audience was invited to splash watered-down bleach on a large photo of the former president. The result was the gradual erasure of the image, and the process was captured on video.

“Dishing It Out 2016” takes playful swipes at many of the candidates, although Bush notes that she never had all of them represented in the submitted art.

“There was one artist who submitted a large composition with all of the candidates, and I may use elements of that in the carnival in October,” she said. “We had works featuring Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Rand Paul and some others. We have quite a few submissions of Bernie (Sanders), Hillary (Clinton) and (Donald) Trump.”

The first image Bush used to promote the show was of a painting of Trump.

“I had no idea he’d still be in it,” Bush said. “I understand the enthusiasm and appeal for a Trump presidency, but I certainly didn’t think he’d get this far.”

Bush cast a wide net seeking submissions to the show, and so far, it includes works by artists from Reno, Philadelphia, New York, Florida and Texas. Local artists whose works have been or will be part of the show include Gig Depio, Kat Tatz, Bobbie Ann Howell and Sean Russell.

“The pieces I used for the show are a new way of working for me,” Russell said. “I used a computer program to gather 500 images of Clinton and 500 images of Trump, then I used another program to combine each of the sets of 500 into a single image, all on top of each other.”

The resulting images are still recognizable as the candidates, but it is a weird, inaccurate and out-of-focus-looking image. The analogy is hard to miss.

Art experimentation is part of what led to the title of the group of shows, and dishes will be the prominent feature in the penultimate show, a carnival taking place Oct. 7 in the 18b Arts District during that month’s First Friday event.

Bush was partially inspired by a plate with Richard Nixon on it that was given to her as a gag gift. Sixteen images will be printed on plates and set up in a carnival game where someone will hurl balls at the plates attempting to break them. She hasn’t worked out the details of that event, but she may resort to some sort of lottery system for the artists or the audience for the coveted hurling roles.

“I like to experiment with new materials, to do something new, to do something different and try to stretch myself,” Bush said. “It’s boring to do the same thing over and over.”

The first show opened at the Brett Wesley Gallery in Art Square, 1025 S. First. St., in January. Subsequent shows have taken place at Dray Studio & Gallery and Jana’s RedRoom, both in The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., and the Left of Center Gallery, 2207 W. Gowan Road. A show is set to be on display June 2 through July 24 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave., with an opening reception set from 7 to 8:30 p.m. June 10. In August, it moves to Wonderland Gallery in The Arts Factory.

Bush is still looking for the location for the final show, scheduled to open when the polls close on Nov. 4, Election Day. Bush was surprised the show was considered controversial but not daunted.

“The show is really about celebrating free speech,” Bush said. “Satire is something that is really special to me. It really highlights for me how far our free speech laws do go in this country. There are other places in the world where you can’t do anything like this. It’s really important that we have an alternative voice.”

Visit tinyurl.com/gpugj5k or dianebush.net.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.