Sputnik Moment, 2019. Acrylic on canvas with road sign. 45 x 45”.
Sputnik Moment is part of a large-scale painting series made in response to shifting geopolitical tensions and the nature of US-China relations during the presidency of Donald Trump. The title and text contained within the painting refer to contrasting figures of speech in English in Chinese. In Chinese, “launching a Sputnik” was a phrase coined by communist party officials to honor growth or accomplishments in government. In the United States, the archaic phrase “Sputnik Moment” was used to describe a sudden moment of realization that one has fallen behind. The painting series draws from the subversive nature of Cold War-era visual media to provide commentary on the weaponization of language and nationalist sentiment to advance government agendas and disguise human rights violations.
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Sputnik Moment is part of a large-scale painting series made in response to shifting geopolitical tensions and the nature of US-China relations during the presidency of Donald Trump. The title and text contained within the painting refer to contrasting figures of speech in English in Chinese. In Chinese, “launching a Sputnik” was a phrase coined by communist party officials to honor growth or accomplishments in government. In the United States, the archaic phrase “Sputnik Moment” was used to describe a sudden moment of realization that one has fallen behind. The painting series draws from the subversive nature of Cold War-era visual media to provide commentary on the weaponization of language and nationalist sentiment to advance government agendas and disguise human rights violations.
