New York State. The Progressive Capital. Leading the Way.
- Title:
- New York State. The Progressive Capital. Leading the Way.
- Alternate Title:
- New York State. The Progressive Capital.
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- Zimmerman, Rusty
- Other Creators:
- Cuomo, Andrew, designer
- Date:
- 2020
- Posted Date:
- 2024-04-25
- ID Number:
- 2436.01
- File Name:
- PJM_2436_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1960 - Present
- Subject:
- Allegorical
Not So Persuasive
Pictorial
Politics & Government - Measurement:
- 71 x 56 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- This large allegorical poster was produced to promote New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2020 "State of the State" message and as a thank you for his supporters. The Governor provided a written explanation: "This poster tells our story - the story of New York. Our strong, competent, effective ship of state. The advancement of social, racial, and economic justice that defines our progressive philosophy. And our unprecedented record of delivering real results for real people in real time, the best progressive government in the nation. This amid the waves of anger, intolerance, and bigotry, fanned by the national squalls of hate in the sea of division upon which our ship of state sails."
While the poster was drawn by the artist Rusty Zimmerman, it is based on the Governor's own personal "artistic and political vision." New York Times, Jan. 10, 2020, p. A23. Whatever "vision" the Governor had in mind appears to have been blurred by symbolism run amuck. Among other things, the poster includes a rainbow "arc of the moral universe," three cephalopods, a quote from the late poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen, and a a three-armed balance scale of justice atop the Statue of Liberty. The "Ship of State" is sailing past a rocky island chocked full of progressive objectives without any evidence of a place to land. And at the foot of the island, we see the Burr-Hamilton duel (which took place in New Jersey).
The New York press reviewed the Governor's artistic effort with a torrent of adjectives: "strange," "nutty," "bizarre," "insane," "surreal," "unsettling," "flabbergasting," "trippy," "anxiety-inducing."
Cornell University Library is pleased to present this digital collection of Persuasive Maps, the originals of which have been collected and described by the private collector PJ Mode. The descriptive information in the “Collector’s Notes” has been supplied by Mr. Mode and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University. - Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.