(Mark) GEAR (Schweiger)
Kansas City, MO
In 2004 at my "Monkey Text" exhibition, I had the League of Women Voters send volunteers to host a voter registration table; President Bush was up for re-election and running against Sen. Kerry — as you know, that election (and the previous one) was decided by only one state. Later, when I ran into the young people who had registered that night, I heard only excuses: "Oh, I forgot to vote," "I didn't think it would matter," etc. It was very disappointing.
This billboard design, like much of my recent work, represents my strong feelings about where the U.S. is heading, especially if people continue to ignore their participation in government and to ignore their rights, which, I believe, have been trampled in recent years. The graffiti lettering appeals to the younger generation and says, "VOTE."
The layered images show the interconnectedness of issues like energy (oil / the environment), war, health care, and the financial collapse precipitated by the housing market; the inclusion of graffiti, my primary medium, naturally refers to the street-level necessity of freedom of speech, above all. I hope the project can affect change and make a difference among America's (non)-voters.
