Dictator-Style Self Portraits

As a megalomaniac who KNOWS he would do a great job as Empire of Planet Earth, ruling from his arctic cave complex (which may be set in a tropic zone if the climate change occurring on this planet continues in the same direction as it is going), I love these images that mythologize tyrants and dictators from history. Is that the 'Spear of Destiny' that Kim Jong Il is holding in front of that globe?


In a series that he calls Kim Jong Phil, artist Phillip Toledano depicted himself as a heroic leader, much as North Korea’s propaganda art shows dictator Kim Jong-il. He explained that this is a natural thing for an artist to do:

It occurred to me that being an artist is a great deal like being a dictator.


Just like a dictator, I must live in a closed loop of self-delusion. A place where my words and ideas always ring true. A gilded daydream of grandiosity. There can be no room for doubt. I must be convinced that I have something vital to say. I must believe that the world is waiting in keen anticipation to hear my message.



http://www.neatorama.com/2011/01/26/dictator-style-self-portraits/

http://kimjongphil.com/work#1