Description
“ARIZONA: The Grand Conspiracy State” (acrylic paint, oil/wax crayon, and pencil on heavy watercolor paper) reimagines the “Grand Canyon State” through Arizona’s heightened role in the political turmoil surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The work invokes the Arizona-based figure known as the “QAnon Shaman,” whose presence at the Capitol became an enduring image of conspiracy culture, alongside Arizona’s pivotal shift to President Biden in 2020. Although Arizona’s results were repeatedly reviewed and upheld—including in a Republican-backed Maricopa County review that confirmed Biden’s victory—the state became a focal point for baseless fraud narratives and efforts to discredit the election. By transforming “Grand” into “Conspiracy,” the piece considers the damage done when political mythmaking overwhelms verifiable truth and democratic trust.
