The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

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