drooker

Drooker, Eric (American, 1958-present day)
Tomorrow , Occupy The Streets
Original –Ink on Scratchboard
Inscription: Occupy The Streets , Occupytogether.org (2011)
Location: Unknown, Original Sold, however Artist (is from) and Subject is NYC, Artist studio currently in San Francisco Bay Area
Digital Image: 649 X 649 Pixels
Digital Date: (2011)
Credit Line/ Resource identifier: Digital object # 4 NYArchives; http://gstrike.org/images/posters/OccupyTheStreets.jpg

Keywords/Metadata: Eric Drooker (American 1958-); Tomorrow (Occupy the Streets); political and social satire; Illustrator; Male Artists; Paintings (visual works); Ink on scratchboard (original print); Scratchboard drawings; digital image; Pop Art; Abstract art; Symbolic representation (of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, and the struggle of the so called 99% to obtain redress of grievances); Imagery; Solidarity; Protests; Civil Rights; Occupy Wall Street Protesters; Occupy Wall Street Movement; Cityscapes (representation) (black & white giant woman in dress with a bag sowing seeds against New York City red skyline, with rising sun).

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Tomorrow designed and painted by Eric Drooker around 2011 and is a symbolic representation of the Occupy Wall Street Protest. The Object is an abstract image of a giant woman depicted in black and white marching over the city of New York against a red sky. the Words Occupy The Streets are above and below the image as well as the Occupytogether.org The red background imparts a sense of power and invokes the past red iconic art seen before (for example Che Guevara). The red in a way kind of inherently politicizes the art, alternatively Tomorrow can symbolize an uphill struggle (The Wall Street movement), if not actual bloodletting. There is action in the work, the image is of a young woman barefoot and her type of dress evokes peasant girl, plus her facial feature allude to this as well. However, she is happy and sowing seeds in the sun across a bridge of the industrialized city. Beyond that, she is much larger than the city alluding to the idea of perhaps conquering or Occupying it. The action of seed sowing is representative of a call to gathering for the ideas she is representing versus the contrasting ideas of industrialized society. I would also say the sun represents tomorrow and the promise of hope.

NYArchives selected this particular image for its artistic contributions and for meeting the stringent requirements of reflecting the key values of; liberty, freedom of expression and social activism that specifically took place in NYC as described within the NYArchives mission statement. Drooker’s Tomorrow not only fulfills these criteria but also satisfies and advances the Constitutional and St. John’s University Vincentian principles of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (Declaration of Independence, 1776). Although this object is considered by some to be only graphic-Socio-Political art, it is also considered by others to be a symbolic representation of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the struggle of the so called 99% to obtain redress of grievances. Additionally Eric Drooker’s works have achieved recognition and have been featured on the cover of the New Yorker.

References:
Dinkelspiel, F. (2011). Berkley artist captures the mood of Wall Street protestors. Berkeleyside. Retrieved Nov 11, 2012 from: http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10/10/berkeley-artist-captures-mood-of-wall-street-protestors/

Drooker, E. (2012). Complete Catalog of Original Art. Retrieved Nov 20, 2012 Eric Drooker. from: http://www.drooker.com/originals/original_catalog.html