Photography by Ken Levy About this gallery

Ugly times call for ugly photos. The depictions in the gallery Art down 45 can appear to be not only ugly, but also downright dark and sinister. They may illustrate lost innocence and vulnerability, or represent the subjects of deep vilification and strife.

They speak to much of where this country stands in the summer of 2020, as the nation reels from one outrage to another, with no viable leadership to steady the ship.

Art down 45 symbolizes, through imagery, sometimes subtly, the struggles and the rifts ripping through our society and the grotesque evils imposed upon it by a deceptive, racist and hateful regime, and its enablers.

Those enablers are the gutless individuals who fail to protect the country from governmental and other official overreach, abuse of power and corruption. They choose, instead, to side with it, even join with it, encouraging its blatant deceptions and divisiveness. All of this is done at the expense of everyday Americans, who must pay the privileged for the privilege of being betrayed, with their tax dollars, with their health,and even with their lives.

And its most ardent followers are those who crawl out of the woodwork with their sometimes-holstered weapons, waving Confederate flags and their ignorance like badges of bravery when, in fact, they only parrot the belligerent attitudes of their so-called leaders and the unethical "news" sources they swear by.

When crises hit, such as Covid-19 and the collapse of much of our economy, aid and assistance are doled out sparingly when it comes to everyday Americans. Any forthcoming help is distributed not so much by need as by political expediency, the definitive motivation for all of this darkness. Individuals get thrown a thin bone instead of meaningful help during these crises.

But the viruses of racism and hate spread even more thickly, with plenty of fear and lies to go around. And it seems more and more folks are increasingly fed up with this garbage.

So we push back: sometimes in the streets, sometimes on social media, and sometimes with our art. It can be raw, it can be disturbing, and yes, it can be ugly.

Just how much uglier things might get depends on how much more the people will tolerate.

"…this thing currently steering us is an abomination. It is an abandonment of empathy, a rejection of personal liberty, a human rights violation, a squandering of radiant lives. There is nothing redemptive or life-giving in it. The only question remaining is if you’re okay with it…"

---John Pavlovitz