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Artwork by Samual Belisle
Life is Beautiful
Oil on Cardboard 2017
Artist statement

Following the Great Depression, artists shifted their focus towards the working-class experience. Their realistic portrayal of American life acted as a political weapon protesting the deficiencies of American capitalism while highlighting the values and dignity of an entire class of people. Belisle aligns himself with this part of American history because he recognizes that those same social and economic injustices are operating covertly today. As the working class continues to struggle ten years after the housing market crash of 2008, you can see clear examples of class exploitation, disproportionate resource allocation, and the dividing of a collective working-class consciousness.

In his paintings, Belisle provides viewers with the opportunity to insert themselves into moments of work and leisure. A person's level of familiarity with these spaces determines how they engage with the painting. He continues to play with this familiarity, or lack thereof, through the repetition of cultural objects. For Belisle, these objects have a religious significance to the working-class experience and act to highlight notions of access, frugality, and persistence. By depicting honest and familiar moments, Belisle hopes to ignite a collective working-class consciousness that can deconstruct the ignorance and subsequent fears that drive us apart.

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