https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edihsu/soul-journal-usa-election-2020-washington-dc
As a painter who documents real moments from life, where else would be more potent than at the epicenter: Washington DC?? The politicians get all the attention and screen time... But who are the PEOPLE affected by this election?
"Democracy is hard; it relies on all its citizens to be informed of the facts and participate. The nation has never been more divided in our lifetime. Both political parties are uncompromising and steadfast that their side runs the country the right way. The facts are not just debated but are questioned. It was former NY state senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan who said 'You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.'
"This Presidential election, Americans will have to choose between two candidates based on what they decide are the facts. Edi Hsu is a painter who documents real world events as they happen, and will travel to our nation’s capital to document the events leading up to and after the election. As citizens around the country converge in Washington D.C. the art will focus on our citizens, and hopefully show that while our politics are different, there is more that bonds us than divides us. Let’s start noticing each other again. Let’s see each individual affected by this election as an American, that every man and woman are created equal with certain unalienable rights."
- Alex Chiu
With live-painted watercolors, I will document real people on the ground, and the real moments of Election 2020 throughout Washington DC. I'll seek to paint and interview citizens of various ages, socioeconomic, political, and ethnic backgrounds.
I'm excited to announce that this project will be in collaboration with writer / podcaster Alex Chiu, who during that time will be already present in Washington DC. He plans to contribute both spoken and written accounts of what’s happening on the ground, conducting interviews with people on location, and providing historical and educational resources.
This book will capture scenes of this historic Election. Every moment is unique and will never repeat itself. The feeling and intensity of the moment is most apparent when painting on location, as opposed to painting from photographs later.
Once our campaign goal is met, we will raise additional funding to expand this project into a mini video documentary of our experience documenting and painting Election 2020. This will also assist with conducting interviews.
Find out more about that successful Kickstarter campaign here: New York City 2019 - Kickstarter
Steps to get there.
- Make the journey to Washington DC!
- Write and document in conjunction with writer/podcaster Alex Chiu.
- Paint the buildup and momentum of the crowds, leading into Election 2020.
- Paint moments and scenes of people on the day of the election!
- Paint the aftermath of the election results, leading into Veteran's Day 2020.
- Post-processing the book and video, and self-publish the book!
- Create additional memorabilia from the most iconic paintings from this project.
Immediately after this project is funded, I will head to Washington DC a week early to document the buildup to the election, culminating with Election Day on Tuesday November 3rd, 2020, and remain after to document the effects of the election, concluding with Veteran’s Day 2020.
Afterwards, I will self-publish copies of the painted book and excerpts from interviews using high quality papers and inks. Additional memorabilia will be created from the artworks as well.
With additional funding, we will create a short video documenting the entire project and experience!