The Law of the Land, a particular view of SCOTUS

 Wikimedia / Jim Kuhm

In Light of a  number of recent rulings by the Supreme Court I felt compelled to reflect upon it in a piece of work. Not merely to focus on the rulings but also the institution itself and how it has seemingly become perhaps an idealogical bully pulpit now more than ever. Decisions, some 5-4 mind you, such as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission concerning campaign finance and determining that limits on corporate contributions to political campaigns were unconstitutional and AT&T Mobility vs. Concepcion concerning consumers rights to class action lawsuits against corporations show a somewhat scary tendency for the Roberts court to favor the rights of corporations over those of individuals. 

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

-- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins) 

Click here for the full quote

Seemingly this situation is not new except now one could say that the Supreme Court is complicit... 

 The Law of the Land, Steel, bone, 107cm x 55cm x 8cm, 2011

For those that insist on blanketing themselves in the constitution like any good fundamentalist I have this gem from one of the founding fathers himself, the venerable Benjamin Franklin.

"Mr. President: I confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them; for having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others..."
  "...In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other...." 

  Benjamin Franklin, Reflections on the constitution written to the president in 1787. The situation we currently find ourselves in begs for reflection on the situation we currently find ourselves in. The full letter here

A bit of the enlightenment that Lincoln and Franklin brought to their discourse would also help.

Things That Cross(&*^%$!!!) Your Mind...

A new series of 15 small statues that I'm currently working on for the Gallery Mad is Mad in Madrid. They follow the other series that I did last year except that the signage is a bit more provocative and complex. They serve as my bully pulpit and release valve/sketchbook for ideas and thoughts. Cross playing with the saying "cross your mind" as well as making you or becoming cross, as in angry. A few are highlighted below...

"If the church really had their shit together...", mixed media, 63.5cm x 24cm x 8.5cm

"I had a dream last Night", Mixed Media, 67 x 27 x 12cm, 2010


"Poke your eyes out for conservative Values...", Mixed Media, 60 x 25 x 8.5cm, 2010



"Telefuckyou", Mixed Media, 57.5 x 28 x 8.5cm, 2010


"Say no to old Stone Buildings...", Mixed Media, 59.5 x 24 x 8.5cm, 2010

"I went to the bank and all I got was this Lousy Broken dream...", Mixed Media, 70 x 25 x 16cm, 2010

"You Wonka", Mixed Media, 60.5 x 23.5 x 8.5cm, 2010

"You do that Voodoo...", Mixed Media, 71 x 29 x 18cm, 2010

"Vote This Guy", Mixed Media, 66 x 24 x 8.5cm, 2010

My Furry Caterpillar (Oh Deere...)

As is usual this idea has been bouncing around in my head for at least a couple years. Most likely from when after 7 years of threatening the city of Barcelona finally decided to begin the project of rearranging my neighborhood. Since I arrived in Barcelona in 1999 I've been living in the shadow of the wrecking ball but somehow have managed to remain in this small corner of the city unscathed. Then in 2006 things started to move, at least that's when the photo below is dated from which was the view from my front window (I have a workspace that I am extremely fortunate to have so the idea of having to leave it struck terror into the deep recesses of my being). Regardless I had an opportunity to reflect on some heavy equipment for some time. It's impressive to see it up close tearing down walls etc. and reminded me of the fascination I had with these machines as a child. What crossed my mind at that point though was the shift in my understanding of said machines from that of a child's understanding which is one of fascination, creation and possibility as well as responsibility, to that of an adult which recognizes them (at least in an urban environment) as the harbingers of change for better or worse. To be honest I still view cranes, front end loaders, bulldozers etc... with a certain amount of awe for the simple fact that they really are miracles of engineering.
The view from my front window the 11th of August 2006

On the other hand in the urban environment they are also the agents of metamorphosis, representatives of decisions that are normally made in other places by people who aren't directly affected by those decisions. Barcelona has undergone unprecedented growth in the construction sector over the last twenty years, to the point that "rabid" might be an appropriate term to describe the nature of what has been going on. With the bursting of the real estate bubble this is no longer the case. Within the metropolitan habitat obviously a certain amount of change is constant and required for a variety of reasons. It's not the idea to go too deeply into the economics and the moral repercussions of the construction boom, although it is fascinating and worthy for reflection, for the simple fact that my knowledge of it is superficial not being an economist. Needless to say there is constant change and constant shifting which has a profound impact on the individual and sometimes the collective as well. I don't say this as a positive or negative judgment just a simple fact.


I chose to work with a front end loader (Caterpillar 950-H) for a number of reasons, but primarily because it is menacing, the architecture/design of it is all strength, aggression and masculinity. Especially the teeth on the front of the shovel and the treads on the tires. In movement it is full of a sort of awkward muscular grace (yes I know, oxymoron). I chose the surface texture for the obvious visual irony that it proposes which fuses the idealism that I had as a child and the realities exposed to me as an adult in relation to construction and the machinery used to achieve it. And hence the title which reflects on the often life changing displacements of land, architecture, families and people that these machines are fundamental in creating. For better or worse...

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, Steel, Flock, Sponge, cheap plastic flowers, 180cm x 120cm, 2010

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Detail), Steel, Flock, Sponge, cheap plastic flowers, 180cm x 120cm, 2010

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Detail), Steel, Flock, Sponge, cheap plastic flowers, 180cm x 120cm, 2010