freak power movement
HD. ... We follow Hunter as he builds his own political movement, which grows from a local sheriff’s race to a national media sensation. The exhibiting institution, curatorial team, and other partners can work together to provide space, materials, and instruction to creatively explore and express ideas, and foster political engagement. Not democrat. Freak Power tells the story of Hunter’s plan to become Sheriff, take control of Aspen and transform it from a conservative mining town into a mecca for artists, rebels and activists. Hunter S. Thompson, author of "Hells Angels" and "Fear in Loathing in Las Vegas" ran for Pitkin County Sheriff in 1970. That campaign was cast as the culmination of the ‘Freak Power’ movement that was part libertarian and part eco-crusade against those engaged in “land rape.” While writing about his campaign, Thompson introduced the term “fear and loathing” into his reportage, which carried over into his future writings. The outrage, the hectoring, the constant rhetoric metaphorical “war:” it’s all a … Credit: Press, Another central pillar of the Freak Power campaign that took root in Aspen was the idea of actively preventing development to preserve the environment. Steadman has continued to make Freak Power work and recently created a number of new drawings that incorporate original Freak Power materials. Among other ideas, he proposed introducing a system of community policing, establishing an environmental crime detection office and redefining the role of Sheriff to become an ombudsman who would deal with citizen’s complaints. It’s time we either bridge that chasm with some kind of realistic law enforcement, or else I don’t think it’s going to be bridged in this country. "The Battle of Aspen" is an article published in Rolling Stone No. Before long, the Freak Power movement grew from a local affair and drew major media attention. That all changed in 1968 after he witnessed firsthand the violence of the Democratic Convention in Chicago and returned home to find similar forms of citizen oppression taking place in Aspen. All of that basically happened in the ’70s and ’80s here in Aspen, but we do live in a bubble.”, ‘Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb’ is available to stream online now. We argue, we protest, we petition - but nothing changes...So now, with the rest of the nation erupting in a firestorm of bombings and public killings, a handful of ‘freaks’ are running a final, perhaps atavistic experiment with the idea of forcing change by voting ... and if that has to be called Freak Power, well ... whatever’s right.” - Hunter S. Thompson, The Aspen Times, October 22, 1970. Thompson wrote about his campaign in the article "The Battle of Aspen", published in Rolling Stone magazine no. The materials will be mounted, framed, prepared for exhibition, and packed for transport by the lender, Mr. Watkins, at his own expense. The BBC, The New York Times , Time , and others descended upon the little mountain town and attempted to translate what was happening for a national audience, who were naturally fascinated by the idea of a hippie (as they judged him to be) running for office. The curatorial plan, texts, and wall tag information will also be provided by the lender and Pryz Agency at no additional cost to the recipient. In 1969 in Aspen, American journalist, Hunter S. Thompson collaborated with a colorful cast of activists, intellectuals and artists to launch a political movement which fought for the future of the town, the environment, and the nation. The majority of the exhibition is organized by theme and each section is modular and variably sized to fit the spaces and priorities of the venue. “If you were a draft dodger in Vietnam, or you hated the government, the last thing you wanted to do was put your name on some official stationery in order to register to vote,” Braudis tells NME. Politically minded, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, in 1970 on the Freak Power ticket. Given Thompson’s experience with the wrong end of a billy club in Chicago, it’s not a surprise that a key pillar of the Freak Power platform was reforming the police. The cover of the magazine ran the teaser "Freak Power in the Rockies", and the article was later reprinted in The Great Shark Hunt. Original art by Ralph Steadman and Thomas W. Benton combine with Hunter S. Thompson’s writing and political theatre to shed new light on a chapter in history which also resonates today. “Suddenly, it seemed imperative to get a grip on those who had somehow slipped into power and caused the thing to happen.”. He became well known for his dislike of Richard Nixon, whom he claimed represented "that dark, venal, and incurably violent side of the American character". We are good people. The ideas were at once radical and eminently sensible, coming from a man who could see how the drug war was driving a wedge between communities and police. “We realised the only way to affect permanent change was through the ballot.”, Braudis is something of an authority on matters of the ballot. It’s a dangerous situation when the enforcement arm is totally out of communication with the reality. He points out that in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, 94 per cent of police officers live outside the city. Showing at the Poster House in New York City from March 4-August 15, 2021, Showing at the Aspen Art Museum from December 16, 2020 - February 21, 2021, Shown at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, KY from April 30 - September 2, 2019, Shown at the Aspen Historical Society from June 18 - October 1, 2018, THE ART OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON’S POLITICAL MOVEMENT. Over the course of 1970, the Times – like many Aspen voters – stopped laughing at the Freak Power movement and started taking it seriously. Though he lost the battle, his campaign kick-started a political movement in Aspen that ultimately won the war, the reverberations of which still ripple throughout the community today. Film Screenings: Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb will be available to screen at exhibiting institutions (or partner location) during the exhibition and includes footage from the campaign that has never been seen before. There are several events and activities included in the proposal that are designed to encourage people to engage with the exhibition and take action in their own communities. “In this country we are in dire need of community policing and prison reform,” he says. The local sheriff’s office took great delight in busting all these hairy weirdos for smoking pot, so much so that a couple of the hippies ended up suing the cops for discrimination. “It was the first time a bunch of us hippies, beatniks, freaks, whatever you want to call us, got involved,” he says. He showed a knack for writing at a young age, and after high school began his career in journalism while serving in the United States Air Force. Steadman vocally supported the Freak Power movement from abroad and mailed original drawings to Aspen to be used as campaign materials. 67, dated October 1, 1970, and written by Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter S. Thompson went to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago as a journalist and returned home disgusted, yet motivated by what he'd just seen: violently suppressed protests, riots, corrupt politicians, and abusive cops. Thompson himself would be his de facto campaign manager delivering regular shots of gonzo wisdom. Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson’s Campaign for Sheriff Curated by Daniel Joseph Watkins April 30 – September 2, 2019. Our Congress is a parliament of whores. Their friendship and collaboration spanned more than four decades and created or inspired some of Benton’s most recognized works, including the 1970 “Hunter S. Thompson for Sheriff” poster and a series of political posters that combined art and writing called “The Aspen Wallposters.” He went on to create campaign posters for more than fifty candidates including George McGovern, Gary Hart and Willie Brown. Back in Aspen, he finds more of the same. Braudis remembers Thompson putting it succinctly: “Real estate developers spread like piss puddles on a parking lot.”, Although the ‘Fat City’ rebrand sadly never came to be, many of Thompson’s allies – including the lawyer Joe Edwards – were elected to positions which allowed them to prevent what Braudis refers to as “wholesale greedhead development.”, Thompson is best known as a writer and author, and as the founder of the gonzo journalism movement. He creates a platform in which he envisions completely reforming the sheriff's office and focusing on … Freak Power is a book and documentary film about Hunter S. Thompson's Campaign for Sheriff. “He carried all of Hunter’s principles forward,” explains Braudis, who remembers the Sheriff’s Office undergoing a startling transformation. “That’s true not only in Aspen, but all over the country. Not bad for a hippie, beatnik, freak or whatever you want to call him. Hunter S. Thompson came home from the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago disgusted yet motivated by what he’d seen: protests violently suppressed, riots, corrupt politicians and abusive cops. Bobby Kennedy III, grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is shooting a movie about writer Hunter S. Thompson's run for sheriff of Pitkin County in Colorado. © 2021 NME is a member of the media division of BandLab Technologies. “He would use this language that was deliberately provocative,” she explains. 2020. People called us: ‘Dick Dove and his Deputies of Love.’”, As Sheriff, Braudis championed ideas like community policing, which may seem obvious but is far from the norm in America. Other than this book, the main source on the Freak Power campaign was Thompson's own article in Rolling Stone magazine, so this is a valuable explanation of an interesting piece of Colorado history. Thompson was also disturbed by the environmental destruction he saw happening around him in the Rocky Mountains, so the question he found himself posing half a century ago became one many of us are still asking today: in the face of obvious police brutality and the shadow of ecological disaster, how do we wrest control of power from those too corrupt to care? The message to the less liberal, less intelligent bullies was: ‘You don’t fit in here anymore.’ We replaced them with us. A post shared by Freak Power (@freak_power) on Oct 6, 2020 at 2:26pm PDT Depending on who you ask, the idea of Freak Power stuck. We follow Hunter as he builds his own political movement, which grows from a local sheriff's race to a national media sensation. Benton also created numerous cause posters for local benefits, non-profits and charitable causes that suited his beliefs. 67 (October 1, 1970). “What I learned from that campaign,” he says, “is that the power is truly in the hands of the people.”, ‘Freak Power: The Ballot or The Bomb’ is available to stream now on Apple, Amazon and Vimeo. Hare Krishna! Credit: Press, The story of Freak Power, then, is a rebuke to anyone disillusioned by the idea that participating in our shaky democratic institutions really can make a difference. The answer Thompson came up with was a radical, local political campaign he termed ‘Freak Power’, and a run to be elected Sheriff of Aspen and the surrounding Pitkin County in 1970 under the banner of a six-fingered fist clutching a peyote button. Still, the experience proved a formative one for him. He was placed on the ballot as a candidate for sheriff, with a platform that called for renaming Aspen “Fat City.” It was a move to scare away developers and tourists. A political activist in Aspen, Colorado. Freak Power Movement. As part of the deal, Thompson promised to run for sheriff the following year – but only if Edwards won. In 1970 he ran for Sheriff of Pitken County, Colorado, on the Freak Power ticket in a surreal campaign that drew international attention. Hunter S. Thompson came home from the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago disgusted yet motivated by what he’d seen: protests violently suppressed, riots, corrupt politicians, and … And he almost won. The story of Freak Power, then, is a rebuke to anyone disillusioned by the idea that participating in our shaky democratic institutions really can make a difference. Liam Neeson says he’s retiring from doing action movies, Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon film will air on Apple TV+, Chris Evans responds to rumours that he’s returning to the MCU, Cardi B scores her first lead role in comedy ’Assisted Living’, Elizabeth Olsen says it was “very scary” being followed by paparazzi as a child, Kevin Smith finishes first draft of ‘Clerks 3’, calls it a “funny fucking script”. Thompson loathed the idea of the pristine Rockies being carved up for yet more ski resorts. In 1970, the gonzo journalist ran for Sheriff of Aspen on a platform of reforming the police and protecting the environment. Schedule and duration of the exhibition shall be determined based on availability and the schedule of the institution. Edwards lost by 6 votes, but Thompson, his personal and artistic powers peaking, ran anyway, on a nationally watched ‘Freak Power’ campaign, whose logo was a double-thumbed fist clutching a peyote button, superimposed over a sheriff’s star. In the current, politically charged environment, this show will resonate with those who are looking for creative ways to incite change. The complete exhibition consists of the following materials: 125 framed works including silkscreen posters, original drawings and mixed-media paintings, offset lithographs, reproductions of historical newspaper articles, illustrated documentary photographs and high resolution images for digital display. The world's defining voice in music and pop culture since 1952. The Freak Power Exhibition consists of 125 framed pieces of original artwork, vintage campaign ephemera, signed photographs and the new film Freak Power. With his friends, Thompson helped established the Freak Power movement. In 1969 in Aspen, American journalist, Hunter S. Thompson collaborated with a colorful cast of activists, intellectuals and artists to launch a political movement which fought for the future of the town, the environment, and the nation. 2017. During the late 1960s, Hunter S. Thompson met artist Thomas W. Benton in Aspen. By the end of October, the newspaper endorsed Thompson as Pitkin County’s next sheriff. Freak Power: The Ballot Or The Bomb Documentary Film Playing at the Plaza Theatre from December 25th-December 31st Legendary Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson ran for sheriff of Pitkin County fifty years ago this year. Inspired by Daniel J. Watkin's book "Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson's Campaign for Sheriff" - Aspen 1970. It can be viewed as encompassing a range of disparate groups including hippies, pacifists, politicized radicals, as well as psychedelic and progressive rock fans. Hunter S. Thompson came home from the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago disgusted yet motivated by what he’d seen: protests violently suppressed, riots, corrupt politicians, and abusive cops. Hunter S. Thompson went to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago as a journalist and returned home disgusted, yet motivated by what he'd just seen: violently suppressed protests, riots, corrupt politicians, and abusive cops. Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb. This exhibition uses over 120 vintage screen-printed posters, photos, films, and texts to tell the story of the Battle of Aspen, which saw artists, beatniks and other concerned citizens fighting against gentrification, oppression, war, and environmental destruction. Through original print material from the campaign, photographs and political art, Freak Power chronicles a little known period in Hunter S. Thompson’s life, a period when he wrote prol Freak Power : The Ballot or the Bomb “It’s time in this country for somebody to run on some kind of realistic program rather than to get into this hypocritical gibberish that has characterized politics in this country for I don’t know how long and still does in most parts of it.” Hunter S. Thompson, 1970 Hunter S. Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937. “That’s because our President is a con man. We’re going to have a revolution.”, Hunter S. Thompson lights a cigarette in archival footage. Freak Power is a fascinating look into the heart of a grassroots political campaign during a violent era in American history, as one man channelled the rage and confusion of a maligned subculture into a surprisingly coherent and subversive political movement. Not republican. Though he was already becoming a well known writer and public figure in the late 60s, Thompson kept a relatively low profile at home in Woody Creek, just outside of Aspen. “Not defunding the police, but reinventing police. After a massive voter registration drive Edwards lost by just six votes, a narrow enough margin to convince Thompson he should still follow through on his word. The article's subject is the 1969 mayoral election in Aspen, Colorado, in particular the candidacy of Joe Edwards, a lawyer, "biker" and … IMDb: 9.9. The Freak Flag was firmly planted in the eyes of a new generation and the Freak Power ideals continue to fly, especially in the landscape of the present day – an idealogical fight that values freedom of the individual against a ruling class via systematic autocracy. “The country is more divided now than it was over Vietnam,” he says. He creates a radical platform in which he envisions completely reforming the sheriff's office by disarming the police, focusing on environmental crimes and legalizing marijuana. Summaries. “Making a pedestrian mall sounds so boring, but if you say: ‘We’re ripping up all the pavement and we’re sodding the streets at once’, suddenly it sounds like something exciting that I want to get engaged with.”, Among those drawn in to a political campaign for the first time was Bob Braudis, a young volunteer given the critical job of going around town making sure everyone with long hair had registered to vote. Some sort of mutant possibly. Stitched together from recently unearthed campaign footage and new interviews conducted by directors Daniel Joseph Watkins and Ajax Phillips, the film skilfully captures not just the specifics of what made Aspen in the late ‘60s ripe for political upheaval, but also how loudly the Freak Power campaign still resonates in this foul year of 2020. The recipient is responsible for providing the necessary sound systems, video displays, etc. “Dick Kienast hired me as a baby deputy. Pauline Rolland pauline@pryzagency.com +33 6 20 69 33 62, Yuri Zupancicyuri@pryzagency.com+ 1 785 218 9038. In 1969 in Aspen, American journalist, Hunter S. Thompson collaborated with a colorful cast of activists, intellectuals and artists to launch a political movement which fought for the future of the town, the environment, and the nation. Here are a few examples: Political Poster Workshop: Led by a silkscreen printmaker, Vintage Typewriter: Provided for museum guests to write their political ideas, messages, and reflections, Media Room: Where Hunter S. Thompson’s books, letters, and magazine articles are available for people to read, Voter Registration Event: To provide materials and information for people to register and become more engaged in local politics, Speaker Series: Throughout the duration of the exhibition, featuring experts and activists talking about politically engaged art and local, national and international political topics. 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