RAVEN DONALD TRUMP: UNAFRAID & UNASHAMED 8’ X 16’ 2015
ARTIST’S STATEMENT Being a visual ‘artist’ is an ongoing struggle both to master <strong>the</strong> pictorial language <strong>and</strong> to skillfully communicate through it. Art is capable of expressing <strong>the</strong> deepest of human thought, belief, emotion <strong>and</strong> experience. <strong>The</strong> generative power of art as a medium for <strong>the</strong> expression of truth makes art a transformational language that has <strong>the</strong> potential to change <strong>the</strong> very fabric of our human experience. My quest as an artist is to capture <strong>and</strong> express what I believe truly matters, what is truly inspired, whe<strong>the</strong>r by beauty or horror, ei<strong>the</strong>r positive or negative, by lending my h<strong>and</strong> to help push <strong>the</strong> broken down wagon of our humanity out of <strong>the</strong> muddy ditch. My portrait of President Donald Trump—<strong>the</strong> anti-politician— was painted in August/September 2015 under an all-consuming fire of inspiration. <strong>The</strong> painting expresses my view that Trump is a natural born executive <strong>and</strong> change agent who is Unafraid <strong>and</strong> Unashamed to say what needs to be said, <strong>and</strong> to do what needs to be done, in order to make America great again! <strong>The</strong> painting exists in a totally unique art category, that of prescient presidential portraits. Its composition is dramatic <strong>and</strong> visionary, consisting of a layered symbolic narrative that also captures <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n-intense spirit of <strong>the</strong> historic 2016 U.S. Presidential election campaign. A copy of <strong>the</strong> painting has hung in Trump Tower in New York City, since November of 2015. <strong>The</strong> painting was shown in <strong>the</strong> Iowa Caucuses in 2016 <strong>and</strong> throughout <strong>the</strong> campaign. In June of 2016, it was shown in ‘<strong>The</strong> Art of Politics’ art show along with <strong>the</strong> Obama “Hope” poster <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r political works by <strong>the</strong> nation’s premier political artists at Politicon in Los Angeles. This took place at <strong>the</strong> invitation of Yosi Sergant, <strong>the</strong> inspiration <strong>and</strong> patron behind <strong>the</strong> Shepherd Fairey ‘Hope’ poster <strong>and</strong> former White House liaison for <strong>the</strong> arts under President Obama. <strong>The</strong> painting was featured in <strong>the</strong> national <strong>and</strong> international media at <strong>the</strong> 2016 Republican National Convention in Clevel<strong>and</strong>. It was highlighted in an onscreen showing of <strong>the</strong> image as part of Lynne Patton’s convention speech <strong>the</strong> viral video “<strong>The</strong> Trump Family I Know.” Since December of 2016 <strong>the</strong> painting has been <strong>the</strong> subject of a 1st Amendment Free Speech federal lawsuit against <strong>the</strong> Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery <strong>and</strong> its Director, Kim Sajet. Today, <strong>the</strong> most recognized pro-Trump painting continues its historic journey. In 2019, it was “<strong>the</strong> star of CPAC,” according to Will Sommer of <strong>The</strong> Daily Beast. Shown during <strong>the</strong> convention at National Harbor’s Gaylord Convention Center, <strong>the</strong> painting was celebrated with massive interactions by both attendees <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> media. Following a second Daily Beast article in March about <strong>the</strong> Smithsonian lawsuit, <strong>the</strong> art world caught on to <strong>the</strong> story—creating a firestorm of internet articles, blogs, Facebook shares, memes, gifs, outrage, ridicule, volumes of hate mail <strong>and</strong> a subsequent twitter hysteria cycle. Shortly after <strong>the</strong> article was published, I was pleased to accept <strong>The</strong> Center For Contemporary Political Art’s invitation to show <strong>the</strong> painting in Washington D.C.. I viewed it as offering a much needed <strong>and</strong> timely opportunity to engage in a dialogue, long overdue in <strong>the</strong> arts, about President Donald Trump from intensely opposing political artistic opinions <strong>and</strong> expressions. Ironically, Unafraid <strong>and</strong> Unashamed will now be on display, one block from <strong>the</strong> Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery <strong>and</strong> six blocks from <strong>the</strong> White House, for all of Washington to see, <strong>and</strong> decide, what <strong>the</strong> real reasons were for <strong>the</strong> Portrait Gallery’s decision not to show it. Julian Raven’s Bio Julian Raven was born in Richmond Upon Thames in London, Engl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> raised in Marbella on <strong>the</strong> Mediterranean in Spain. Raven’s gr<strong>and</strong>fa<strong>the</strong>r was a painter by night <strong>and</strong> an engineer by day. His gr<strong>and</strong>fa<strong>the</strong>r’s love for art was expressed by devouring art history books <strong>and</strong> attending art classes at night. However, It was Raven’s ma<strong>the</strong>matics teacher in Marbella, who noticed Raven’s inclination towards fine art having observed him doodling. Impressed with Raven’s potential, <strong>the</strong> teacher introduced him to art master David Bodlak. Bodlak would have a profound influence on Raven. This creative relationship culminated in Raven’s acceptance into <strong>the</strong> Chelsea School of Art in London. Although <strong>the</strong> art school was heaven for artists, Raven’s bouts depression caused a premature departure from Chelsea. <strong>The</strong> need to survive financially led Raven into bar ownership <strong>and</strong> life in <strong>the</strong> fast lane where he bottomed out. Divine intervention turned him to become a missionary where he followed <strong>the</strong> breeze to <strong>the</strong> Americas. That was over 20 years ago. Raven now finds himself back at <strong>the</strong> canvas as an American citizen, on a journey that now embraces his faith, family, politics <strong>and</strong> art. Julian Raven lives in Elmira, New York with his wife <strong>and</strong> three teenaged children. For more information: www.julianraven.com www.<strong>the</strong>trumppainting.com
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