Boston-based artist Joe Wardwell presents Hello America: 40 Hits from the 50 States at MASS MoCA, a compelling wall drawing that acts as a visual “50 states song,” albeit one filled with dystopian undertones. Inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1981 novel Hello America, Wardwell’s piece immediately draws parallels to a future where the American dream has gone awry. Ballard’s narrative, set a century after an energy crisis devastates the US, depicts European explorers encountering a radically altered American landscape and a tyrannical leader in Las Vegas. This unsettling vision resonates deeply within Wardwell’s art, especially the chilling echo of “President Manson’s” slogan, “together, Wayne, we will make America great again!”
Wardwell’s subtitle, borrowing from Negativland’s controversial song “I Still Haven’t Found Snuggles,” further enriches the artwork’s layered meaning. Negativland’s track, which juxtaposes radio host Casey Kasem’s on-air professionalism with his raw, expletive-laden outburst, samples U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” This jarring contrast mirrors the shattered American dreams both Ballard and Wardwell explore. These diverse influences serve as the foundation for Wardwell’s exploration of America, utilizing landscape imagery, potent political slogans, and evocative song lyrics to craft a multifaceted commentary.
The visual “50 states song” begins with a stark silhouette of winter trees from the Berkshires, establishing a sense of place. Over this foundation, Wardwell paints a post-apocalyptic landscape in muted yellows and blues, setting a somber tone. Large, camouflaged letters emerge from this landscape, embedding slogans and lyrics within the scenery. Phrases like Mission of Burma’s “Fame and fortune is a stupid game / Fame and fortune is the game I play” add layers of cultural and political critique. Finally, screen-printed texts, presented in vertical bands and totaling 40 “hits,” complete the artwork’s complex tapestry.
These “40 hits” are not literal songs, but rather a curated collection of quotes from diverse American sources. Ranging from past presidential campaign slogans to reflections on the potential decline of the United States, and considerations of government and law, these textual fragments offer a broad spectrum of American thought. Song lyrics intermingle with words from figures like Jello Biafra, Chuck D, Anne Sexton, Hunter S. Thompson, Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, Bill Clinton, e.e. cummings, Barack Obama, Henry Rollins, and Maya Angelou. The result is a fragmented portrait, where text, slogans, and landscape merge, mirroring the cultural fragments uncovered by explorers in Ballard’s Hello America. Wardwell’s work, much like a dissonant yet compelling “50 states song,” invites viewers to contemplate the multifaceted and often contradictory narratives that constitute American identity.
Joe Wardwell, A Political Bandit, 2015 Oil and dye on canvas, 22 × 26 in.
