Deborah Faye Lawrence (She/Her)
by Jennifer Lupercio (She/Her)
Not every subversive wields a sword; some use a pair of scissors and glue as their tools as a means for expressing resistance. Deborah Faye Lawrence reminds us that we can be crafty and cutting-edge, cutting up capitalism one vintage ephemera at a time. Born in 1954 and raised in Seattle, Washington, Lawrence creates layered collages that blend satire and protest. Coming of age in the tumultuous 1970s, her pieces reflect the popular culture she was born into, of societal pressures to be quiet, buy, and conform. Instead of staying silent, she found her voice in a unique form of visual storytelling. She used mixed-media mashups as a tool for defiance by cutting up books, magazines, and ads, effectively turning overlooked pieces of paper into displays of social commentary featuring vivid colors and pressing phrases cut from strips of retro advertisements. After earning her BFA from the University of Washington in 1987, then going to the University of Kansas in 1992 to earn her MFA, she returned to Seattle and became immersed in the local political art scene and refining her compositions as a means for visual activism.
Her visual manifestos tackle topics like reproductive rights, environmental advocacy, and racial inequality. Lawrence isn’t concerned with being palatable, and her detailed artworks have never stopped her from using her art as a vehicle for protest. In 2004, she was invited to create an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. Instead of making a cutesy project with candy canes and gingerbread houses, she submitted a swirly red and white ornament embellished with tiny text and a proposition to impeach George Bush. The bobble read “America cannot regain its moral leadership in the world if America cannot hold its leaders accountable for their actions at home- Without accountability, a Democracy will fail.” (This did not go over well.) Her ornament was thrown out like a lump of coal and not featured on the White House Christmas tree that year. But Lawrence wasn’t focused on having her art featured; she had already made her point, even when her art got censored. Her Seattle exhibition called “A Strumpet of Justice” took place in August 2017 at the Bonfire Gallery was a critique of political injustices and media manipulation. Each of her vibrant and chaotic pieces are a powerful tool to communicate to viewers and confront social issues. Her creations have appeared throughout many public installations and exhibitions around the country. Her unapologetic and sometimes controversial pieces are a crucial part of Seattle’s radical art culture. Lawrence’s work is a testament to the way that not all resistance is loud, but sometimes hand-cut and delicately glued together, constructed from the power of speaking your truth.
