Why Todd Libby drew Trump’s voters on his prestige in independent?

When Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential elections, the artist and editor Todd Libyan – like many of his peers on the left – surprised. But instead of spinning inside, he went in search of answers. This was followed by a two -day continuous search for voters who publicly supported Trump, not on social media, but in the interview, news interviews, and regional press. 50 of them found. Then, after he was drawn before, each one began to draw.

The result is My American colleaguesA collection of pictures that appear for the first time this week as a site composition with the meeting in New York. The pictures are honest, unlimited, and amazing – not at least because of how to change Libyan himself. What began as an attempt to understand into a deeper thing: a strange type of company between the artist and his topics, a project that feels passionate as political.

For several months, Lippy drew approximately one image a day, completely immersed in this process. He spent most of the winter in Los Angeles to complete the series, and turned his days into an intense routine of centered and meditation.

With the passage of days, Lippy did not only learn how to use acrylic-gouache-a flat broker and a quick drying chosen for his access. He was also learning to see. The study of each face in detail, found himself communicating with people who had a few common denominators with a politician. He said: “I actually ended up until I am almost fond of these people, despite the fact that I have nothing to do with them politically.”

This connection is formed through portrait mechanics. He said: “When you draw a face, especially when you really study people’s eyes and how they accumulate themselves, you really know them.” “It’s crazy. I didn’t think this would happen, but it ended until it was the best secondary result of the entire experience.”

ArtNews: I said all this started the next day for the elections. What happened?

Todd Libyan: I have done a lot of exposure during the campaign, and I really think Kamala will win. When you did not, I felt completely upset. The first thing I did on that day is to delete all my social media – everything but LinkedIn. Then I opened Google and wrote in “Why did you vote for Donald Trump.” This research has turned into two days of obsessive pits. I found 50 people who explained their vote publicly, most of them in media interviews or media interviews. I was not looking for a population composition or specific geographical areas – I just held 50 I could find it.

This was not about building a representative sample.

No, it was purely around access. Some people came from articulated articles-perhaps 20 percent-but most of them were interviewed TimesOr local papers or television news. The group ended strangely throughout the country. Once again, I was not looking for “types”. I just wanted to do it quickly, before I guess myself.

Not painted before. Why use portrait as your medium?

I think that when you are in a degraded period of time, people on the other side begin to become abstract. The photographic painting felt as if it was a way to push it – to force myself to see them as people. Draw a person’s face, really study their eyes, their expression, know them in a way that does not do so. I began to feel a kind of affection for these people, although we are politically, we are completely inconsistent.

How did you choose your materials?

I have chosen the acrylaish randomly, mostly because it dries quickly and has a flat quality that I loved. I didn’t want to deal with oils – slow, very technical. I went to Los Angeles in that winter, and while I was there, I drew approximately one picture a day. This was my life – boys, eating, sleep, repeat. It took several months to finish the full chain, and over time it has improved. Early pictures are somewhat harsh, but subsequent sounds are more accurate. I learned to draw as I went, and that was intense. It was not only about technology – I also learned how to contact these people by doing the drawing.

Have you ever worried about liberation, even unconscious?

All the time. For this reason, I tried to be precisely loyal to the source. Do not decorate, do not turn color, do not indicate how they appear. It was not about the temptation or ridicule of them. I have always been a kind of imitation – I made a series of graphics for my magazine esopusAnd accuracy was also important there. The same with this. I just wanted to be honest in how to offer them.

How was the response? Especially from Trump’s supporters?

Mixed, as you expect. Some people even refuse to walk to the room. Others said, “This is like my grandmother.” A few voters came to Trump. They were completely fine – we talked. Trump’s supporters were stereotypical, but they loved the show. Work is not related to celebrating them, but it is not a matter of imparting the evil character to them as well. This will not be interesting.

I have worked through a lot of media – music, music, photography. How is this project suitable?

You have always been a person who supports things. I go to an exhibition, see something strange, think, “this is interesting.” Then I start photographing it. Then it is a book. Then it is an offer. The same with this. I did not start making the drawing project. I had a question, and this was the way to answer it. This was true for most of my creative work – music, design, photography. It is only about understanding the world by making something.

So, are you an artist?

I don’t know. I do a lot – book design, editing, consulting. A new printing press started after my magazine esopus Folded. I make music. I think I think the world is more interesting when I create something than it. This is how I understand things. Not everything should be the capital project. Sometimes you just have to start.