Share
The Not Great Men print was inspired by the Gang of Four song of the same name from their album “Entertainment”.. Gang of Four are a great band musically and lyrically with many of their songs tackling subjects like consumption, capitalism, obsession with power, exploitation, narcissism, and class structure. The song Not Great Men has long struck me as a wise indictment of the contradiction or paradox of leadership and power. It takes assertive, charismatic people with self-confidence to be leaders, but on the dark side, leaders are often power hungry, manipulative, and abusive of their power. Once someone has power it is not only possible for them to shape history for better or worse, but it is also easier for them to manipulate historical portrayal of their role in their favor. I think Gang of Four’s point with Not Great Men is to suggest that power is not inherently great and should be feared as much as revered. The world is often shaped by those who are not great men. On a personal note, I think a larger percentage of women in public leadership roles would bring more diplomacy, fairness, and benevolence. Of course, that is a generalization because one can cite Margaret Thatcher and Imelda Marcos as brutal women. Regardless of gender, the public needs to be less seduced by, and in awe of, power… and leaders need more checks and balances to their power.
18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 450. $45. Limit 1 per person/household.
Release date: Tuesday August 20, 2013 at a random time between 10am and 12 noon PST in the Prints page of the store. Find it here.
Not Great Men
No weak men in the books at home
The strong men who have made the world
History lives on the books at home
The books at home
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
The past lives on in your front room
The poor still weak, the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
The past lives in the books at home
No weak men in the books at home
History lives in the books at home
The books at home
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
It’s not made by great men
Lyrics by Gang of Four
