Renowned artists Derek Hess and Kent Smith use politics in art for new book
DEREK HESS AND KENT SMITH ANNOUNCE UPCOMING BOOK SIGNINGS FOR “PLEASE GOD SAVE US”
Please God Save Us, the new book by Derek Hess and Kent Smith, is available in stores and online at www.strhesspress.com and www.amazon.com. The two authors have scheduled several in-store book signings. Dates are listed below.
Please God Save Us is a smart, provocative and perhaps controversial look at some of today’s most pressing societal issues. The book is full of the authors’ incendiary observations of the right wing. This debut book has been receiving attention from coast to coast. Visit www.strhesspress.com/press for a sample of Please God Save Us.
“I never really wanted to do a book like this, but after the last 8 years I feel I had to,” says Hess. “Kent and I were eating at a diner in Dayton, OH on our way to a book signing, and this guy sitting behind us was talking loud on his phone. We hear him say ‘I'd vote all kinds of Obama, he’s right on just about everything, but I'm a Roman Catholic and Obama is pro-choice, so I’m voting for McCain.’ Now THAT is what’s wrong with this country. Not religion in general, but letting an issue like abortion be the only reason to vote or not to vote for somebody. Not to say the sky is falling, but this country is in dire straits.”
Recently, the MySpace page for Hess and Smith’s book was inexplicably booted from the site, though it may stem from the book’s indictment of Fox News and its relationship to the Republican party (MySpace is owned by Fox Interactive Media). The site has since been restored.
Please God Save Us is a collaboration from Hess and Smith that features more than 50 pieces of Hess artwork and covers an array of topics, all of which are ripped from U.S. headlines. Thought provoking visuals and words address an array of important subjects including the Religious Right, Iraq War, censorship, evolution and global warming to name a few.
Since its launch on July 4th, Please God Save Us has received exceptional reviews. Here’s what the press is saying about the book:
“If, as Alan Moore once observed, ‘the word is the unit of currency of the left brain, and the image that of the right,’ then Derek Hess and Kent Smith have achieved a balance between the two.” -- Real Detroit Weekly
“Provocative? Definitely. Controversial? Most likely. Inflammatory? Only if you give it to your conservative relatives for Christmas (something we highly recommend).” -- Metrotimes
“Not just another addition to the mountain of anti-Bush books the last eight years have generated, Please God Save Us will stand as powerful visual commentary on the current era long after George Bush has irrevocably entered history books as America’s worst president ever.” -- Cleveland Scene
Derek Hess is an internationally known artist who launched his career creating rock-and-roll poster art. His work has graced the walls of hundreds of galleries and museums throughout the world and is part of the permanent collection of Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, in 2003, Hess launched a clothing line called Strhess showcasing his art.
Kent Smith is an award-winning Cleveland area elected official who is also the head of the Democratic party in Euclid, Ohio. Smith is also finishing a PhD in Economic Development at Cleveland State University.
High resolution images and spreads from the book are available for download at www.strhesspress.com/press.
Derek Hess and Kent Smith in-store signings:
Thursday, October 16, 2008 7PM – 9PM Kent, Ohio
North Water Street Gallery
257 North Water Street; Kent, Ohio 44240
(330) 673-4970
www.standingrock.net
Free to the public
Derek Hess and Kent Smith will both be attending and signing books.
Friday, October 24, 2008 7:30PM - 7PM Ann Arbor, Michigan
Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlour
308 S. Ashley
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-623-8200
www.luckymonkeytattoo.com
Free to the public
Derek Hess and Kent Smith will both be attending and signing books.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 4PM – 6PM Chicago, Illinois
Blue 13 Restaurant
416 West Ontario Street; Chicago, Illinois 60610
(312) 787-1400
www.blue13chicago.com
Free to the public
Derek Hess and Kent Smith will both be attending and signing books.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7PM – 9PM Lyndhurst, Ohio
Joseph – Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village
24519 Cedar Road; Lyndhurst, Ohio 44124
(216) 691-7000
www.josephbeth.com
Free to the public
Derek Hess and Kent Smith will both be attending and signing books.
