Richard Kraft: "It Is What It Is"

When Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, New York–based artist Richard Kraft felt the necessity, like many others, of keeping a close watch on his presidency. Every day, Kraft scoured the news and Trump’s Twitter feed, assigning, like a referee in a soccer match, coloured cards associated with transgressing rules and codes of conduct. Published in an edition of 650 copies, this five-volume set presents over 10,000 cards for Trump’s words and actions.In soccer, yellow signifies a warning. Red is for those offences for which a player should be dismissed. Soon after the inauguration, Kraft began adding more colours for other infractions.When asked about COVID-19’s death toll by journalist Jonathan Swan, Trump replied, 'It is what it is.' This project takes its title from that callous dismissal. A brute confrontation with the facts of Trump's presidency, it is also a durational work of art, marrying futility with vigilance, transforming toxicity into beauty.
ISBN 9781938221286. Siglio. hb. slipcase. 5 volumes. 1622 pages. 10881 colour ills. 13 x 19 cm.
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