Portfolio > Original artwork - Matters of Conscience series

National security agency privacy surveillance PATRIOT Act patriot act
False Sense of Security (PATRIOT Act I)
Acrylic spraypaint on canvas
48"H x 36"W
2014

This is the first artwork in a mini-series commenting on the PATRIOT (now USA FREEDOM) Act and the breadth and depth of domestic surveillance powers authorized by the Act. The central figure in the painting was appropriated from Sir Frederic Leighton's 1895 artwork entitled Flaming June. She was chosen for two reasons. First, her restful pose represents a serenity that Congressional leadership suggests should be appreciated by US citizenry as a consequence of increased surveillance - a perspective not shared by a majority of the public polled on the topic. And second, the transparency effect in her gown, an effect that is present in all paintings in the mini-series, is symbolic of a greater need for transparency in the government's application of its expanded surveillance powers.