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Image via Joe Biden’s campaign

After Joe Biden was announced as president-elect of the US, his campaign released a moving tribute to Americans.

Biden expressed his gratitude through a video showcasing diverse faces across the country posing with a golden frame in front of their faces.

This concept is inspired by artist Lorraine O’Grady’s series Art Is…” (1983/2009). O’Grady went to Harlem in 1983 with a golden frame to spotlight people at New York’s African American Day Parade.

Biden’s campaign requested permission from O’Grady’s gallery Alexander Gray Associates to make a campaign video surrounding the concept from her series.



“I gave to them and they gave to me,” O’Grady commented of the new take, per Artnet News.

View this post on Instagram

America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.

A post shared by Joe Biden (@joebiden) on Nov 7, 2020 at 8:52am PST

View this post on Instagram

Lorraine O’Grady’s "Art Is … " (1983/2009) serves as the inspiration for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ unifying message after winning the United States presidential election. Deploying ornate gold frames that pay tribute to O’Grady’s joyful 1983 performance, which took place in Harlem during New York's African American Day Parade, the Biden campaign’s video frames citizens and landscapes of the United States. Like the artist’s earlier performance, the video focuses on individual Americans, uniting their experiences through the shared device of the frame. O’Grady has written that "Art Is … " was “undertaken in a spirit of elation which carried over on the day;” this elation is echoed in Biden’s video, which celebrates the indomitable freedom of expression. In an indication of their commitment to this principle, the Biden campaign reached out to the artist and the Gallery before creating the video. Watching the final piece, O’Grady concludes, “I gave to them and they gave to me.” Find a link to the Biden campaign video in our Instagram story. — Still from Biden campaign video and Lorraine O'Grady, "Art Is … " , 1983/2009, c-print in 40 parts, 16 x 20 in (40.64 x 50.8 cm), edition of 8 plus 1 AP. Courtesy Alexander Gray Associates, New York, © Lorraine O’Grady/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York — #LorraineOGrady #Artist #PerformanceArt #AfricanAmericanDayParade #1980s #Harlem #NewYorkCity #Performance

A post shared by Alexander Gray Associates (@alexandergrayassociates) on Nov 7, 2020 at 4:56pm PST

[via Artnet News, cover image via Joe Biden’s campaign ]

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