INDECLINE is an art collective that’s been promoting “critical thinking through mischief” (John Doe’s words) for the past 20 years. Through graffiti, multi-city simultaneous political art installation debuts, the largest illegal graffiti mural ever, and hanging a 40-foot banner across the chest of the giant Jesus monolith in Eureka Springs, Arkansas that read “God Bless Abortions,” INDECLINE have several examples of how they’ve used art to spread a message. By using culture jamming, INDECLINE are able to use the major media outlets and the thousands of billboards that litter the sides of Interstates, or clutter city centers, in order to use the momentum of the major propaganda machines against themselves in a form of marketing judo to spread social awareness rather than consumerism and divisiveness. But they’re also clowns, too. (Again, John Doe’s words.) INDECLINE are the jesters thumbing their noses at the courts. Humor, empathy, conversation, unity…all words heavy used in the INDECLINE ethos. At least that’s how I see them.
I'm also a big fan of what they've been doing for the past 20 years now that I'm starting to dig through some of the work INDECLINE have done. Honestly, most of INDECLINE's body of work is completely new to me. Thankfully, there's plenty of videos anybody and have access to that put a visual component to some of what you're going to hear in this episode. Double thankfully, there's a ton of links ready for you to help find a bunch of what you're going to hear that much easier to find.
HUGE, HUGE thank you to John Doe and the folks at INDECLINE. The entire process could not have been easier or more enjoyable. Thank you for taking the time and thank you for the work you did in Arkansas and what you have been doing for the last two decades.
You are going to LOVE this one.
Links and things:
- THE ART OF PROTEST
- web: https://thisisindecline.com
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/indeclineofficial/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisindecline
- “Why We Can’t Wait” by Dr. MLK Jr.
+ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Can%27t_Wait
- Oops. MLK Day in AR isn’t the same as Robert E. Lee Day in AR since 2017.
- https://www.arabortionsupport.org
- https://www.instagram.com/arkansas_abortion_support/
Ron English and John Law “Billboard Liberation”
The Flicks
+ Freedom Kick
+ World’s Largest ILLEGAL graffiti piece
INDECLINE book: more than just their work; the history of protest art
The Yes Men
- Dave Navarro deserves the thanks he deserves
- Pussy Roit
- Damien Echols
- Angela Davis
- “It’s Worse than You Think: Part 2?”
- Oops, again. The website on the billboard DOES matter.
- Orange work vests go a long way to convincing people
- Panopticon - everybody’s being watched, but only one set of eye
- Gerald L. K Smith - creator of the Eureka Jesus
- Lord of War
- “Propaganda” by Edward L. Bernays
- John Doe vs Ben Shapiro : mud wrestling and relieving stress
- Abby Hoffman
- Fred Hampton
“For What It’s Worth” play (I couldn't find that one)
Get Dead - Pepper Spray
Aware Forever, Forever Aware
Tyler the Creator - Where This Flower Blooms [feat. Frank Ocean]
...and so much more is packed in here ready for you to devour.
MASSIVE thanks to INDECLINE and John Doe for spending some time with the Not For Prophets Stereo Podcast and giving a little insight about the group, the message, and the incredible work that was done here in the Natural State.
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