Artist Takes a Stand Against ICE With Poignant Mural in NYC

For many years, artist Doug Groupp aka Clown Soldier steered away from anything overtly political. “There were always undertones in my work, but I hadn’t confronted politics head-on,” he tells My Modern Met. Now, his latest work couldn’t be more immersed in the current political climate. The black-and-white mural Attack on Liberty, painted in the East Village in New York City, depicts the Statue of Liberty being arrested by ICE agents.

While working on a project influenced by James Rosenquist’s F-111 installation at the Museum of Modern Art, the mock firework packaging paintings created by E. F. Higgins III in the 90s, and nostalgic patriotic imagery, the phrase “Fourth of July Canceled” came to him. “Suddenly the image crystallized: ICE agents arresting the Statue of Liberty,” he recalls. “Now, there was a dark humor to it, which made it sharper rather than heavy-handed. Once I reduced the drawing to its essential elements, I knew I had something.”

To break down the image, he turned to a fellow New York artist who spotlighted important causes through his work: Keith Haring. “After sketching the image across several digital platforms, I realized that referencing Keith Haring’s visual economy made the message stronger,” Groupp shares. “Reducing the imagery to its simplest form—almost like a subway drawing—allowed the idea to speak more forcefully. Haring’s work was an act of defiance in itself: immediate, public, and unapologetically provocative. That spirit felt essential to the message.”

Groupp says that the response to his mural, which can be seen when exiting the Second Avenue subway station, has been outstanding. “People seem all about it,” he shares. “Immediately after finishing it, people walking up out of the subway cheered when they saw it for the first time. I never expected the kind of attention I’ve received. Everyone I meet seems to know the piece.”

Unfortunately, the response has not all been positive. “I did have some major criticism in the beginning from right-wing individuals,” Groupp says. “At first that was scary. I found myself arguing with people who felt the Statue of Liberty did not represent immigration. The piece was also defaced. Someone wrote Communist Dems over it but misspelled Comunist with one m. Another time someone wrote DEAD and a lightning bolt to my tag name.”

Despite the unnecessarily vile feedback, the mural carries something else beyond its poignant message. Groupp is also offering a t-shirt and a limited-edition screen-printed version of the mural to raise funds. A portion of proceeds will be donated to The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) Emergency Justice Fund, which provides direct cash assistance to immigrant New Yorkers who are facing detention or deportation by ICE. This includes costs associated with reuniting with their families, legal fees, housing support, and other basic needs.

Overall, what Groupp hopes people will take away from this piece is straightforward: “It’s a reminder that freedom is never guaranteed; it must be defended.”

To stay up to date with his work, follow Doug Groupp on Instagram. To learn more on how you can help, visit The New York Immigration Coalition website.