Political Tribune

Crime, Health Care, Healthcare, Opinion

Artist Creates Portrait Of Slain CEO Using A Stamp In An Image You Have To See To Believe

Pointed commentary, for sure.

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579 points

Let’s face it: Healthcare CEOs across this country have to be nervous following the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. And even though we still don’t know the identity of the hitman after five days, one thing has become clear: Americans are becoming increasingly discontent with the state of healthcare in the U.S.

One striking image, created by Reddit artist u/Old_Lengthiness3898 encapsulates this in a stark way. The image, a pen and ink portrait of Thompson, is simply titled “Denied.” While it’s not immediately clear, the portrait allegedly consists of the word “Denied” printed hundreds, if not thousands of times. It’s simple and complex all at once and speaks volumes. According to The Commonwealth Fund, healthcare is on life-support in this country, which gives Australia, the Netherlands, and the UK high marks, whereas the U.S. is ranked “lower performing.”

Forbes reports that United Healthcare denies more claims than any other insurer. Who knows how much pain and suffering this caused? Something like this is immeasurable. Meanwhile, Thompson, as CEO, took home $10 million per year.

That’s what makes the image created by Old Lengthiness so powerful. Enough so that it was eventually removed by the moderators of Reddit’s r/economicCollapse community. But while the image was removed, the artist comments on the process of creating the intense work of art remain.

“I used a variety of steps to make this portrait. First, I downloaded his photo, and then I altered the saturation to make it 4 simple color zones. Then, I printed it in black and white and used an opaque projector to put the photo on the “canvas.” Then, it’s simply a layered process to stamp out the values, in the same way a sketch artist would use cross hatching. And because I’m using a projector in the dark, I had to turn the lights on and off several times to check that the work was turning out as intended.”

It really is a striking work that captures the frustrations of people suffering because of a company’s seemingly arbitrary decisions to deny much-needed care.

Throughout history, artists have captured the times they lived in, providing us with a mirror of the world they lived in. This pen and ink portrait of Thompson is a reflection of that, and if you peruse social media, you see the frustrations pour forth.

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I don’t think I need to comment on this one:

So here, I’m offering my condolences — to the loved ones of those who didn’t live to see another day because this company denied their claims during Thompson’s time as CEO. While he and others like him struggled to get by on millions of dollars (and yes, if you don’t know, that’s sarcasm.)

Featured image via throwawaythom123/reddit

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Megan Hamilton

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Megan Colleen Hamilton was born and raised on progressive politics and she has long fought for liberal causes. She has lived in the Pacific Northwest, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, parts of Mexico, and now Central America. Her travels have further informed her progressive beliefs in these troubled times. She is currently owned by 10 cats, two dogs, and one naughty rabbit. She actually is one of those “childless cat ladies.”

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