José Fresán
April 7-April 30 2022
2020 shined a spotlight on the abuses and oppression perpetuated in our complex, interconnected social and economic system. The COVID-19 pandemic brought it at all to the surface and the tragic murder of George Floyd made it explode. Most of us went out to the streets filled with anger, sadness, and rage but also filled with hope because we had decided to make 2020 the year when we wouldn’t allow things to go back to normal.
Overwhelmed by the things happening on the streets, the constant shouting on social media, and the dubious media coverage, I decided I had to focus my thoughts and feelings into creating. I decided to make easily produced, easily reproducible imagery that could respond to the fast paced changing events and that could visually convey some of the ideas that were being discussed at the time.
Inspired by groups like Atelier Populaire (France 1968) and Taller de Gráfica Popular (Mexico 1930s), The Graphic Resistance aims to add another voice to the collective cry for justice by creating striking imagery that empowers our capacity for protest and revolution through art.
My hope is that this exhibition reminds us of the feeling of solidarity of being out there on the streets, of being full of anger and hope, of seeing diverse faces raising their voices together against injustice. That it makes us remember the feeling of being close to collective change. Let’s keep this fire alive and keep pushing for justice and accountability as we did in May 2020.
-José Fresán, February 2022
