One year after the murder of Charlie Kirk, the VFW in Denver has allowed me to hang the art that I created in tribute to him.
I’d presented it four months ago, but it was suggested that the story was too hot, that not enough time has passed for people to be comfortable with the content. I could have pulled the old line, “I thought that was the whole point of art, to challenge people,” but even I could appreciate their trepidation, especially in a city as captured by liberal dogma as Denver.
I learned a while back that when a liberal says that art should never be censored, what they really mean is art that they agree with should never be censored.
A year has passed since the murder, and we’ve heard just about every conspiracy theory you could imagine: exploding mics, palm guns, a bullet fired from a drone, it was Israelis, it was the FBI, it was his wife.
Nonetheless, it was determined last month that the case against the official suspect will be going to trial. Without a doubt, it will be the most watched legal proceeding since OJ’s. This art will be on display in October on First Friday in Denver. I hope that you’re able to see it.
Over the target
As with the COVID art I revisited this summer, I dedicated a good amount of time to getting the pieces together, all the while with an increasing sense of dread that my time — the last thing I have to waste — would be in vain: There was no way in hell the VFW was going to allow me to hang the work.
Ever since I’ve been showing art in Denver, my website has been getting hacked, making it difficult for me to be able to support my family. As much as it sucks, these attacks remind me of the saying, “You take flak when you’re over the target.” In other words, I must be doing something right.
In light of what happened to Charlie for standing up for his beliefs, getting a site hacked and losing a couple of bucks pales in comparison. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not that these people don’t want the worst for me. If my wife and I ended up living under a bridge, they would laugh and throw things at us as they drove past. It’s sobering to realize how joyfully some people embrace hate. I may not be Charlie Kirk, but I am certainly closer to him than our self-proclaimed enemies.
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Violent reactions
I put these Charlie Kirk pieces on the streets not long after Charlie’s murder. The tattered, textured look is meant to represent the violent reactions that he inspired from those who disagreed with his views, as well as how often my street art is ripped down just as quickly as it’s put up. I put my posters up at night and never wait for better light to document them, aware that they may be torn down before the sun comes up.
I learned a while back that when a liberal says that art should never be censored, what they really mean is art that they agree with should never be censored. Everything else is fair game, and as Charlie learned, no tactic to silence someone is off limits.
I also decided to include my Iryna Zarutska pieces; perhaps these would make the cut even if the Charlie pieces proved too much. Who was I kidding? I thought, as my anxiety increased. This series is even more brutal.
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Screaming ‘stop!’
Taking over a stop sign is not as simple as it looks. I’ve seen many half-hearted attempts at repurposing one. My approach is to not add a single word to the piece. I want the art that I add to scream, “STOP!!!” The art should belong on that sign. I think I pulled it off with her murderer half a second from plunging that knife into her neck. I want everyone who views this piece to scream that one word in their head. Included are photos taken from the street hit in Hollywood. One piece boldly and purposefully includes the name IRYNA ZARUTSKA so there is no question as to who this person is. Everyone who views these pieces will say her name, even if just in their thoughts.
I CAN’T BREATHE! I’ll admit to the art being cluttered. The pieces should have more room to breathe. I was so surprised and blown away at being allowed to show these pieces, from both series, that I took the opportunity to throw as much of it up as I could, fearing I’d never get such an opportunity again. But if all goes well, next month I’ll curate the display to include only the Charlie Kirk pieces, some of which are absent. The month after that, I intend to reshow the Iryna pieces, also including those photos I didn’t have room for this time around.
RELATED: Sabo returns to Denver — this time with Jeffrey Epstein hanging on the wall
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The small “ALL LIVES MATTER” piece is a deliberate reminder of this truth. I mean to provoke those who cheered the murder of Charlie because he did not agree with them and dismissed the murder of Iryna simply because she was white and her murderer was black. This is what I mean when I include the word “DOGMA” in the Charlie Kirk piece. What good is art if it only confirms what you already believe?
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