Hope and heartbreak: The art that defined the 2024 US Election

The US election dominated our screens, social media, and newspapers for months this year, and the artistic pieces, as well as the photographs, produced during the campaigns spring to mind when looking back at 2024.

One of the most significant works produced during the US election campaign was a Kamala Harris mural

I am certain that every person with access to social media would have seen that harrowing, martyr-like image of Donald Trump fist-pumping the air after his narrow escape with death.I was on holiday in Italy, sat in a group with a few Americans my friends and I met when the news broke out of Trump’s assassination attempt. It was fascinating to see the flabbergasted, almost awestruck reactions to this photo, from people whose politics seemed to align more with the Left, and those who did not really care about US politics at all. “That’s the hardest photo I’ve ever seen,” one remarked. Yes, this photo definitely aided Trump’s presidential campaign success and, from an objective view, it is an action-film-like image.

However, I found that one of the most significant works produced during the US election campaign was the Kamala Harris mural painted in Atlanta, Georgia in the historic West End, designed by Chris Clark. Upon seeing a photo of the mural, I was struck by the beaming smile of Harris, with her portrait surrounded by a multitude of pink roses against a light blue background, imposing but not intimidating. Kamala’s gaze appears hopeful and confident, and her eyes look out towards the side, staring at all who pass this mural, encouraging them to entrust her with their futures. The pink roses lead Kamala to appear gentle, elegant and symbolise flourishment and the hope that a new Harris era will bloom and thrive in the USA. Furthermore, these flowers link to her femininity. Kamala Harris has already demonstrated to women, and more specifically women of African and Asian descent, that it is possible to become one of the most influential figures in US politics, a field dominated by white men. She is the first female African American and Asian American Vice President, as well as the first Black and Asian woman to be nominated for President of the United States. Ultimately, Kamala represented important progress for many diverse communities and her accomplishments are phenomenal, which is why the creation of this mural would have inspired all the women who saw it.

These photos will serve as a reminder that people should never stop fighting

After learning about the historical and cultural significance of the neighbourhood where it was painted, I was saddened to discover that it had been painted over, just days after Trump became President. The West End area of Atlanta was an important crossroads in the 1860s, where real estate speculators purchased much as there was strong belief that the area would prosper and endure significant future growth, hence the renaming of the community from ‘White Hall’ to ‘West End’, which was, and remains, a cultural hub of theatre in London. Notably, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s contributed to more African Americans moving into the West End as most white people had moved to the northern suburbs. As a result, the West End transfigured into a hub for African American culture in the 1980s and most of its residents were middle class. Therefore, I find it quite fitting that the mural of Kamala Harris was painted here as it was a reminder to young women, people of African and Asian descent, and to all Americans in general to not “ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” which Harris stated in her concession speech. I will reiterate again – she is the first woman of African and Asian descent to be Vice President and nominated for President, which is why I strongly believe that her mural should have been permanent.

I feel that the photos of the Kamala Harris supporters, following her defeat to Donald Trump on November 5 2024, was very defining of 2024 as the photos conveyed how US politics will continue to endure challenges. Furthermore, the photographs encapsulated the sincere emotions of people who viewed her as both a symbolic and historic figure. The idiom of ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’ could not be truer here. An election night event held at Howard University in Washington produced many harrowing images: women of all generations crying; disappointed and disbelieving faces; rubbish left behind on the ground after the supporters went home. I was most struck by the images of crying women as Kamala’s campaign highlighted how she wanted all women to have the choice on what to do with their bodies, unlike Trump, who is very much anti-abortion. Hence, Trump’s Presidential success has only increased fears of stricter abortion laws in a country where 17 states have already outlawed nearly all abortions as of August this year. Despite these melancholic images, we can see masses of people gathered, and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, which emphasises how Kamala Harris has aided progress in US politics by gaining so much diverse support through this turbulent election period.

Unlike the ephemeral nature of the mural, these photos will last forever and serve as a reminder that people should never stop fighting for what they believe in – a message which I believe it is very defining for 2024.