Gallery owner Eric Ben-Kiki wants everyone to vote, so he enlisted artists to help get people into the civic spirit.
For an exhibit in Ben-Kiki’s EBK [small works] gallery on Pearl Street, artists have turned the word “Vote” into art.
Ben-Kiki isn’t taking sides, he’s just urging people to vote. But in the 21st century, even that can be considered a radical act. When he tried to boost his exhibit on Facebook, the social media site wouldn’t let him. The subject matter was deemed inappropriate.
Here are some artists’ words to describe their pieces.
‘Women’s Work’
Felice Caivano stitched the word “vote” in French knots on a cream-colored doily.
“Women need to vote because of so many issues that are so critical for us, the new Supreme Court justice, Roe v. Wade, women’s rights, health care, equal pay,” Caivano says. “I am taking this traditional craft women have done and given it more power or a different kind of focus.”
Voting Booth
Peter Waite’s piece is an image of a voting booth. Waite has been doing representational painting – real visits to real places – since 1987.
“This voting station is certainly in keeping with this theme which I’ve called personal/social memory,” he says. “This particular temporary voting station is one that I am familiar with. It’s my local one. But it’s a fairly generic setting and could be anywhere.”
‘Vote’ In Yellow
Rita Valley’s fiber-art piece in yellow against a black background.
“The background of the word vote is sort of a vaguely water waves-patterned fabric which loosely stands for the sea of humanity and the waves that sweep people and parties into office,” Valley says. “But the tassels at the edges are there for self-flagellation if you don’t vote.”
‘Young Bloods’
Ellis Echevarria’s work shows an anemic American flag being fed fresh blood.
“College debt and a lack of jobs dealt some of the most crippling blows to the financial futures of many young voters,” Echevarria says. “Youth voters who want to inspire change need to show their support for the candidates whom they feel best represent their needs. No one else is going to vote in the interest of young people except young people.”
‘Power’
Joe Bun Keo’s art work is four silver mylar party balloons, that spell out V-O-T-E.
“During elections you see all the pageantry and such,” Bun Keo says. “These balloons are no different, but if you take a moment and look at the balloons you see your reflection, a reflection of your attitude toward the word ‘vote,’ may it be indifference or engagement.”
‘Vote’ In Red
Erik Williams, a street photographer who goes by the moniker Eaze, presented a black-and-white photo of hands holding hypodermic needles, with VOTE printed over them in red.
“While most people are focused on voting, there are others dealing with more serious issues, drug addiction being one of them,” Williams says. “So I want to make people very aware of the reality we live in.”
‘Vote’ Woodcut
Tim Tanker’s woodcut, modeled after a Kathe Kollwitz work, shows a person chained and in mourning, captioned “Got to hope something will change.”
“Mine is a more apathetic piece, as I have never trusted the voting process, a two-party system that doesn’t seem to work for the people in my book,” Tanker says. “But with our current state of government and who our president is, we have to do something.”
Other artists in the show are Lindsey Fyfe, David Borawski, Adam Niklewicz and Peter Kirkeles.
VOTE: A GROUP SHOW OF ONE WORD is at EBK Gallery, 218 Pearl St. in Hartford, until Nov. 15. facebook.com/ebkgallery/