Santa Rosa: "Police Recruiting" (Art Show)

Ryan Saari have designed 11 Star Pig prints so far, all printed by hand in 2007, in limited editions of 50, 15" by 20", signed and numbered on archival paper.

The Star Pig prints/ Police Recruiting posters are part of my Star Pig Campaign. The Star Pig is an image of a seven-point star police badge with a pig's face imposed within it. The purpose of the Star Pig campaign is to undermine police authority by portraying police as a bunch of animals who should not be trusted. Star Pig is my attempt to create an icon or symbol for people to use to dis the police; I hope it is a visual way of saying "Fuck the police." The street art started back in November 2001 and is now comprised of various designs of the Star Pig including a stencil, larger Star Pigs for wheat pasting and, of course, lots of stickers. The prints are an extension of the street art campaign; the prints are to broaden my audience, help pay for the costs and build a larger context and understanding of my work.

I have designed 11 Star Pig prints so far, all printed by hand in 2007, in limited editions of 50, 15" by 20", signed and numbered on archival paper. There is a series within the series that I call the Police Recruiting posters. I use words like "Protect," "Serve" and "Trust" with colors that would be used in any ordinary police recruiting poster. The difference here is that I depict the acts of violence police do on a daily basis in the inner cities of America. The star pig is "stamped" on the police to let everybody know that they are dirty thugs who beat down and repress the poor, the working class or anybody that might want to get out of line and change things for the better. These prints challenge viewers on their beliefs that we need police to have a civil society.