TRUMPTRUMP

January 20, 2021

For these last seven days (hopefully) of TRUMPTRUMP I’m writing about the project. This is day 7, see the others below Today: THE END

It’s over and after posting this I will post the last TRUMPTRUMP of his presidency. There will be another week of drawings as wild beasts and monsters eat the goo he melted down into. Trump’s poison will linger and infect.

My plan was to, over the last month, slowly take out and “kill” all my recurring characters, both figures in Trump’s orbit and the flotsam I had running around. Knives, spiders, klansmen.

The attempted coup on Jan 6 stopped that plan for me, so it’s been the past four days where the Trump enablers have had swords stuck in their heads and are gone. All my little friends gone, Never for me (hopefully) to draw again.

Here’s what I have learned at the end of this about Trump: He is a hollow, sad person. Fragile, stupid, incurious, clever, but has the advantage over everyone because he sincerely believes the lies he spreads. We will never get a moment of satisfaction where he repents. Our comfort should be, in addition to prosecutions and shunning, that no one likes him and all the people around him are damaged and hurt. His children have a deep sadness in them. His wife is drained of any humanity she may have had. Even his adoring cult followers are wild-eyed and confused about him. He is already Lear on the heath and he will never get back.

Here’s what I have learned at the end of this about drawing: You can get better by doing something every day. It is a good feeling to make something good. Drawing (or any kind of making) is a shield and a sword. One has to find validation in the work because it will not come from the world. Pencils are delights.

Here’s what I have learned at the end of this about America: We are so deeply submerged in stories we tell ourselves that we have a very hard time telling fact from fiction. Trump saw this and worked it hard. I think those of us committed to justice, equity and dignity should maybe do the same.

Here’s what I have learned at the end of this about me: I’m stubborn, I’m much more lefty than I thought I was and I now have a lexicon to articulate that. Setting up organized systems makes big projects easier. Steal from other artists. I believe in drawing as a way to find, document and illuminate.

There were many times I lamented this project because I was part of the Trump ego ecosystem. Even us who hate him are part of his machine. I tried to mitigate that.

I am glad to not have to draw him, but I will miss drawing spiders and webs, klansmen, walls. I enjoyed the daily exploration of FINDING how to draw something and even know looking back I feel a great satisfaction when I see some of the drawings.

Thanks again to everyone. I’m sorry we had to go through this. THE END

11:00am | URL: https://tmblr.co/Z9snNgZalXyRme00

(Notes: 13)