"Like the Waters We Rise" design is an adaptation of the "Self-Determination" design for the DE-MIL-I-TA-RISE portfolio Justseeds did with the Dissenters in 2020/2021. That original design was inspired by a Third World Liberation Front button from 1968. That button had a fist on it originally designed by Frank Cieciorka in 1965.
Frank Cieciorka, Fist, 1965
I adapted his fist and redesigned it as if it was emerging from a great flood to highlight the importance of self-determination and liberation movements in the wake of the rising waters of the climate crisis. The intention was to inverse the idea of the flood waters into a flood of resistance and visually represent the Dissenters language about the "turning tides" and "rising up" together against militarism.
After being inspired by the Like the Waters We Rise exhibition, I reworked the text to say "Like the Waters We Rise" instead of "Self-Determination" for a climate justice action with NRDC in Chicago that included a wheatpaste mural and the distribution of free screen prints. The new design has been printed hundreds of times and distributed for free at street actions.
This split fountain print version was printed with the help of Hoofprint Editions in Chicago.
Chicago mobilization in response to the reelection of Trump (photo from Hoofprint)
