Each image in this book depicts a diary entry; collectively they bear witness to months lived under a repressive regime gathering its forces in preparation of an authoritarian coup, an autogolpe, resulting in a violent attempt to overrun the United States Congress and install a dictator. As of the publication of this book, the final outcome remains unresolved.
History is replete with examples of this type of coup; the particular plan described in this diary involved collecting a mob, nurturing it on endless lies, exploiting its fears and hatreds, and, on January 6th, 2021, inciting it to assault the seat of government in an attempt to assassinate elected members of congress to prevent the usually pro forma constitutional process of finalizing an election. The plan was marshaled by the president of the United States in conjunction with his close allies, and in cooperation with members of both the House of Representatives and Senate.
The graphics on the hats, in large part, represent direct quotes — tweets or other statements — from the president and his co-conspirators. Phrases have also been taken from the words of writers and reporters chronicling the times, along with other representations of the zeitgeist. Together they paint a picture of life under a murderous regime bent on retaining power at any cost, ignoring existential threats and exploiting historical inequities.
The project was initiated on 11 September 2020, and the final entry was created on 20 January, 2021. The entries are presented in chronological order, and viewers may find it helpful to conduct an internet search for any phrases that require explanation.
Since significant Twitter accounts have been permanently suspended, search results may not be available in many cases. [-Ed.]