Jon McNaughton’s art is a favorite of the Tea Party set. Brandt Hardin paints from the other side of the culture war trenches. He has painted and written about such current topics as Chick-fil-A and traditional marriage, Tennessee’s continuing struggle with evolution/creation, and the power of Mitt’s money in conservative politics.
As we noted about McNaughton, perhaps his popularity with conservatives is bolstered by an implicit appreciation for realistic art, for art that avoids distortion and irony. If so, Hardin’s pop-surrealistic style provides a stylistic, as well as a cultural, counterpoint.