It Can Happen Here by Dirk Hagner
"In 1935 Sinclair Lewis wrote ‘It Can’t happen here’, about how a populist demagogue and corrupt political system brought fascism to the United States - like voting in a right-wing party and the consequent Nazi take-over in Germany in the 1930s.
"Now, 89 years later, tens of millions of Americans are eager for this dystopic vision to become reality by getting ready to again vote against democracy - for an authoritarian, populist, orange savior, a hamster-brained egomaniac, and his party of sycophants.
“The line-up of an outdated constitution, a corrupted supreme court, a dysfunctional two-party political system, and deeply engrained racism seem to offer little reason for hope to fend off the establishment of American dictatorship.
"Yes, it can happen here, and it already is." - Dirk Hagner
Processes and Dimensions
San Juan Capistrano, California: Inkswine Press, 2024. Edition of 12.
9 x 6 x 1 inches (23 x 15 x 2.5 cm) when closed, and 9 x 6 x 42 inches (23 x 15 x 106 cm) opened. Case binding with covers wrapped in hand-made paper, quarter-bound with Kraftex leather strips. Multi-color letterpress typography pages, using different Futura types, with facing chine collé photogravures on old paper. 20 pages on heavy rag paper. Features an extending 6-panel gatefold of a 3-color woodcut in the center. Signed and numbered by the artist.