Unite Now » Politics & Policy

Spectral Q 350 Aerial Art Mosaic

UniteNow — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:43:10 +0000

On Saturday, October 24th, thousands of people around the world gathered to show their support of the 350 campaign bringing awareness to the UN Climate Talks this December in Copenhagen.

On the same day, UniteNow launched its new social network dedicated to empowering activists! Check it out by clicking on the image to the left or link below…

350 Art Mosaic

Tck Tck Tck – Bonn, Germany

UniteNow — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:24:02 +0000

In June 2009, over 500 people from all walks of life joined TckTckTck.org and its partner organizations in marking the half-way point of the climate talks currently underway in Bonn, Germany, by laying down on the grass and creating a giant exclamation point and the words “YES YOU CAN.”

TckTckTck is a global movement for a unified voice against climate change. The combined efforts of millions of people, including you, will deliver a clear message that we demand meaningful leadership and action against climate change.

Photo by Robert van Waarden / Spectral Q

Make Poverty History

UniteNow — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:19:09 +0000

“MAKE POVERTY HISTORY” by Julian Beever – July 2005 Edinburgh, Scotland

Julian Beever is an English chalk artist who has been creating chalk drawings on pavement since the mid-1990s that create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the right location. This Make Poverty History drawing was requested by the organizers of Live8 to support their “pressure campaign” on the G8 in Edinburgh. On Saturday 2nd July 2005 over 225,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh to call on world leaders to act at the G8 summit. It was the biggest ever anti-poverty demonstration to date.It created space for many people with many different talents to contribute to the cause. Julian Beever was only one artist who was asked to participate and make a statement though art. Important steps were enacted but poverty still continues to this day and deserves more action and attention in order for it to truly become history.

350 in Poland

UniteNow — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:25:02 +0000

In Poznan, Poland, during the UN climate negotiations held in December, 2008, youth from around the world joined up with 350.org to form a huge aerial art image. The image represents the people of small island nations most threatened by sea level rise united with people across the world to declare 350 ppm CO2 as the target where humanity should aim for a safe climate.

Directed and photographed by John Quigley/Spectral Q

Marting Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, TN

UniteNow — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:52:41 +0000

KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE – MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
produced by CIRCLE UP NOW
hosted by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA

On November 2, 2008, Amnesty International and Circle Up Now teamed up once again, this time to produce an historic tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the Mississippi riverfront of Memphis, Amnesty International and its supporters united to honor Dr. King and other local civil rights heroes by forming into a human aerial art image depicting Dr. King’s likeness along with the words, “Keep the Dream Alive”.

Image Credit: John Quigley & Siphne Sylve

Photo Credit: Andrew Withers & Jeff Pantukhoff

The Rescue Part 2

UniteNow — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:45:32 +0000

On April 25, 2009, in cities across the world, thousands of activists and advocates united under a common cause: The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s child soldiers.

To raise awareness, the activist organization Invisible Children hosted a global rally with participants “abducting” themselves and leaving family photos behind, symbolizing the kidnapping of Kony’s child soldiers.

Photos by Jessica Fairchild

“ENDANGERED FREEDOMS” Miami, Florida

UniteNow — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:00:35 +0000

More than 1,200 people gathered on January 17, 2004, on Miami’s South Beach to create a massive “human art” image in creative protest against the unprecedented prosecution of Greenpeace by the Bush administration. Supporters of the international environmental organization gathered Saturday afternoon to form a replica of the 1959 Pablo Picasso work titled “Amnistia”, which was photographed and filmed from a helicopter above Miami Beach.

This aerial art image, produced in conjunction with aerial artist John Quigley and Spectral Q, is aimed at inspiring people all over the world to voice their concern over the continuing destruction of our endangered forests.

Photography by Robert Visser

BARCELONA “EXPECTATION”

UniteNow — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:40:38 +0000

“EXPECTATION” by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada is a large-scale sand painting portraying the likeness of Barack Obama, located in the Catalan city of Barcelona. It was created before the 2008 US presidential election using a large-scale vector graphic, a GPS topography system and approximately 650 tons of sand. The work’s grand scale (1 hectare / 2.5 acres) embodies the immense sense of hope felt by Barack Obama’s supporters and raises a mirror to reflect the source of that hope. Obama has awakened an enormous yearning for change that runs deep beneath decades of disaffection with the political establishment. The outsize scale of EXPECTATION also allowed the artist to allude to the global impact of this election. For people around the world, the symbolic power of an Obama presidency would be without precedent in modern history. Sand painting is the art of pouring colored sands onto a surface to create an image. These sand paintings are used as rituals for healing purposes by Native Americans, Tibetan monks, Indians and Australian Aborigines.

“COEXIST” Bend, Oregon

UniteNow — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:46:54 +0000

Local artists donate time and talent to Bend, Oregon’s “Balloons Over Bend’s 2009 Chalk Art Festival” raising money and awareness to support art programs that have lost funding during recent times. This image, titled “Coexist”, was created by local artist Michael Taus.

“PEACE NOW” Santa Monica, California

UniteNow — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:17:03 +0000

Over 3,000 thousand people form Picasso’s “Face of Peace” in Santa Monica as
millions gather worldwide calling for peaceful resolution of the Iraqi
crisis in February 2002. Broadcasted live around the world by international news outlets.

Aerial Art by Spectral Q
Photography by David Crane