State Of Racism

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Robert-Longo-Untitled-Fer-010 Screen Shot 2014-12-19 at 00.40.11 Screen Shot 2014-12-19 at 00.40.28

Robert Longo’s Untitled (Ferguson Police August 13, 2014) is a 10-ft wide charcoal drawing of a line of faceless cops, clad and helmeted in black, silhouetted against searchlights in a swirl of illuminated smoke. This is a brilliantly powerful drawing, based on photographs taken on the angry streets of Ferguson, Missouri, after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot dead by a police officer there on 9 August.

Larger image.

Why a charcoal of police in Ferguson is the most important artwork of 2014 (Jonathan Jones, The Guardian)

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37 thoughts on “State Of Racism

  1. swoon

    Longo’s son observed that his dad wants to own every image he likes, and takes ownership of them by replicating it in charcoal.

    1. Captain_Wasso

      Good point. And what about the line of faceless journalists? And what about the line of faceless bystanders? And what about the line of faceless internet commenters? AAND WHAT ABOUT THE AFRICAN CHILDERS??

  2. What Goes Up...

    Jonathan Jones in quotes:

    – On Banksy:
    2014 “If he painted on the side of my house I’d be busy with the whitewash next morning.”
    2014 “Banksy is the most effective political artist of our time but where is his Turner prize nomination?”

    On photography:
    2013 “Photography is the serious art of our time.”
    2014 “Photography is not an art.”

    – On Tracy Emin:
    2014 “Any sense of real subversion or originality Emin ever conveyed has long since been packaged, copyrighted, and reproduced as kitsch self-caricature.”
    2014 “Every student, every teenager who loves art should see this exhibition. It is a lesson in how to be a real artist.”

    Tune in next week when he describes this charcoal drawing as the scratching of an idiot

  3. Twunt

    Is this about the Michael Brown that robbed a store, assaulted a clerk, disobeyed a policed order, got into a fight with the police and then got shot by the police?

      1. Diddley Aye

        Do you think the policeman should have just given him the gun?
        Or can you look at what you posted and consider that maybe you’re just plain wrong.

  4. Diddley Aye

    Nobody was executed in the street. A robber was rightly stopped by an observant policeman. He tried to grab the gun from the cop. Nature took its course.
    If that cop was your brother what would you have him do? Be honest now.

      1. Diddley Aye

        Option 1. Do what he had to do keep his gun and arrest Michael Brown.
        Option 2. Give him the gun.

        I think you’re talking out of your @rse and you know it.

          1. Diddley Aye

            Option 3. Consult some random SJW on another continent on what exactly youshould do when a violent robber reaches into your car and tries to grab your gun. This option may result in your death but thats your problem, not hers.

          2. Diddley Aye

            Careful ben, if she feels threatened she’ll give you a hug and knit you a sock. Thats what the copper should have done anyways

          3. Diddley Aye

            This is weirdly hilarious. You casually dismiss the right to life and safety of a policeman in a violent situation and now you feel threatened on an anonymous forum by a username you recognize from another thread. Are you one of those insecure eejits who delights in claiming shes being stalked by some guy who dared to chat her up one time in bandcamp

          4. Diddley Aye

            Ok lets all calm down and feel the love. What would you have done in that policemans situation Don? Please dont say you’d call for backup or shoot him in the toe. Thats cheating, like wishing for 3 more wishes

          5. Don Pidgeoni

            I wouldn’t have gone after two people of one had just attacked me. I’m fairly sure their training would strongly strongly advise against that unless they’re was a direct that to public safety is they were armed. The states seems to be one of the few places where this kind of one on one thing happens quite a lot rather than a more sensible approach which stops people being killed.

            Then after my cop mates had arrived, that’s when I would knit him a sock like we used to make at band camp :)

          6. Diddley Aye

            Never gonna happen. A cop is not going to fire a shot, injure someone, and then let him stroll away without attempting to arrest him as he intended. If Michael Brown had been white or the policeman black this wouldnt have made it past the local news. Excuse me now, I have a gun that needs polishing

          7. Don Pidgeoni

            @diddley he didn’t ‘stroll’ away and opening fire in a residential area makes me think that cop wasnt too worried about public safety

            Anyway, someone is dead. Someone else’s son or daughter will be dead next week and next month and the cops will say the same things they always do

  5. bagpuss55

    Here`s me thinking out loud, how many paintings are drawn for hard working cops (majority) who put their lives on the line to protect society from scumbags like Michael Brown?

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