Cool Story Bro. Series
Cool Story Bro. Series
By Stephen Surlin
2011
A “meme” piece referring to the continuous sex scandals by high ranking officials. In ways, these figures represent/encompass many qualities found in the mocho, often misogynistic, “bro” culture.
BODCABP
BODCAWP
By Stephen Surlin
This is another work in the “meme” style. The meme here refers to the Hurricane Katrina media coverage and the televised fundraiser that later followed. The screen capture is moments after Kanye West (on the right) said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
Here is a link to an article that addresses the original quote by West, along with outlining the events that transpired to inspire West to make this kind of gesture.
Stephen Surlin on Tumblr
Here is a link to my stephensurlin.tumblr.com site. I use this site to post some of my works and re-post various online media from other sources.
Art Student Owl Meme
Art Student Owl Meme
By Stephen Surlin
This is a rendition of the “Art Student Owl” which is a “meme” which is widespread on the internet. I am making reference to the two contemporary art critics and theorists who were both important and controversial in their time: Clement Greenberg and Hennesy Youngman.
Trophy Series .GIFs
This is a metaphor for not “winning” via Charlie Sheen.
Animated .GIF from “Cruisin’ USA” for the Sega Genesis.
I Could Tell You… .GIFs
FLASHING GRAPHICS WARNING!
These are a series of .GIFs I did for an interactive digital installation. I was told about this book by a friend and it related to aspects of War and Economy that I am often interested in. I have also been interested in .GIF graphics and their direct and overwhelming qualities.
“ Some of the worst crimes in the American landscape are hiding in plain sight, and nobody has ever pursued them more thoroughly or explained them more chillingly and engagingly than Trevor Paglen. What he is doing is important, fascinating, and groundbreaking.”
—Rebecca Solnit, author of Wanderlust
“ Of course, issuing patches for a covert operation sounds like a joke . . . but truth be told, these days everything is branded. Military symbols are frequently replete with heraldic imagery—some rooted in history, others based on contemporary popular arts that feature comic characters—but these enigmatic dark-op images, in some cases probably designed by the participants themselves, are more personal, and also more disturbing, than most.”
—Steven Heller, The New York Times Book Review
“ Trevor Paglen gets into the black heart of America’s black sites. There is no better guide to this great American mystery. What goes on inside these bases will determine the future of warfare—and who we are—for the rest of the century.”
—Robert Baer, former case officer at the CIA and author of See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism
