Why this series?
Dream and Lie of Trump is a tribute to Spaniard Pablo Picasso's 1937 etchings Sueño y mentira de Franco (Dream and Lie of Franco). Picasso produced the series during the Spanish Civil War to support the country’s democratically-elected government against the fascist Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who received the aid of foreign powers . . . Mussolini’s Fascist Italy and Hitler’s Nazi Germany . . . to win the war. Franco’s justification for his ultimately successful overthrow of Spain’s Republic was the claim that "outsiders and his political opponents" on the Left were trying to destroy Christian Europe and the culture of Spain, that he was a man of the people and that he alone could stop it.
We Went To Bring The Government To Their Knees And Found They Were Already There, 2017
Acrylic and graphite on Rives BFK 40 x 29 in.
Picasso created 18 shocking images to satirize Franco as the liar and buffoon he was. Picasso intended that the etchings be sold as postcards to educate Spaniards about Franco’s character and raise funds for the legitimate government.
Trump, his supporters, sympathizers, and those willing to look the other way, are as clear and present threats to civilized norms and our democracy as were their fascist ancestors 80 years ago.
In the spirit of Picasso, The Dream and Lie of Trump is intended to educate and motivate. While many of the works are shocking, and some are quite profane, their point is to get your attention and make you think about the existential threat to our country.