The Nixon Suitcase Problem
This work reanimates the Nixon/Napoleon/Astronaut (NNA) figure, a staple of my visual vocabulary that has historically occupied several scales of work simultaneously. I had previously shuttered the NNA series because the "moray" elements surrounding the figure had become overbearingly phallic, weighted equally at the bottom left and right. Once that visual association took hold, the series reached a standstill—until the Bazooklet format offered a way to recontextualize the completed elements.
I began by juxtaposing the NNA figure with the 1776 series. To sharpen the irony of these figures of power, I integrated aluminum foil to serve as a mocking silver. This cheap, industrial sheen ridicules the prestigious metals traditionally used to honor heads of state, creating a surface that feels both celebratory and dismissive.
The composition evolved through several critical stages:
The Guillotine and the Coffin: I initially used the diagonal of the Bazooklets packaging as a "guillotine" to isolate the NNA figure. By rotating the packaging vertically, the exposed tabs and the reinforced logo diagonal merged to form a coffin shape, adding a layer of memento mori to the political narrative.
The Shellac Patina: I used shellac to integrate the deconstructed 1776 elements. Much like the resins of the Old Masters, this medium creates an atmospheric decay; as it ages, it continues to darken, ensuring the piece exists in a state of perpetual transition.
The Rubber Arrow Gag: To anchor the frame with a long, crisp diagonal, I reintroduced the "arrow through the head" gag first established in my Quickies 1776 series. While the arrows serve as structural weapons within the composition, the inclusion of the "gag" is a mandatory confirmation of their fakery—an absurd trope that effectively deflates the pomposity of the Nixon/Napoleon hybrid.
By shifting the NNA figure into this "Suitcase" context, the previous compositional hurdles were resolved, transforming a stalled evolution into a study of historical decay and vaudevillian satire.
Nixon Group
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