Photograph by Hulki Okan Tabak. Limited Edition of 1. Minted November 9, 2020. Exclusively for KnownOrigin.

George Washington was an American political leader, military general, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Previously, he led Patriot forces to victory in the nation's War for Independence. He appears on a United States stamp collection from 1870 and I have started to build this piece from an actual used physical copy of that stamp.

The color red and its various tones emphasize and reinforce the personality of that in the spotlight. Yet the lights blare at someone who is incognito. The artist becomes the mouthpiece to tell the story. The truth or the lie lies within the confines of the creator's tale and the observer's recognition. Yellow strengthens the red. Patches of darkness provide depth. Blue turns the lie.

This is the 3rd piece of a 5 artwork series that involves Edwin Stanton and George Washington from actual used 1870 stamps. The series consists of 4 digitally manipulated photographs and a video file. Various digital tools were used in creating the final images.