Excerpt:
Frank Cieciorka, a nationally recognized watercolor painter, political artist, activist, and author who created many of the iconic images of the 1960s, including the clenched fist and the black panther, died on November 24, 2008 at his home in Alderpoint, California. The cause was emphysema.
To some, my web page logo has a "rising up angry" protest flavor. However, the animated image I chose to use was originally inspired by Howard Dean’s positive and vibrant enthusiasm displayed during a speech in Iowa on his presidential campaign. Those on the anti-social violent-prone Right successfully mischaracterized Dean's awakening as anger and aggression. Later on, as the Democratic Party Chairman, Dean eventually got the last laugh by channeling his defeat in 2004 into a tidal wave of Democratic victories in the mid-term 2006 and again just a few weeks ago.
But as much as I would like to believe the tidal wave stemmed from tired and fed-up Americans seeking positive change, most of these victories resulted from a large protest vote against the misguided status quo GOP platform. Despite the untimely passing of Mr. Cieciorka, the art and practice of non-violent protest and activism still lives thanks in part to his efforts. R.I.P.
Excerpt:
A persistent symbol of resistance and unity, the clenched fist (or raised fist) is part of the broader genre of "hand" symbols that include the peace "V," the forward-thrust-fist, and the clasped hands. The clenched fist usually appears in full frontal display showing all fingers and is occasionally integrated with other images such as a peace symbol or tool.
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