Vegan in the Time of Covid-19
Jeannette Louise Smith
Animal Rights Activist and Founder of No Killing Deer in Arlington, Virginia
My favorite section of the grocery store is the very first section of the store, right inside the entrance. Yes, it’s the fruit and vegetable section. This is where I spend the majority of my grocery shopping time.
I feel euphoric surrounded by the vibrant red, orange, green, purple, blue, and yellow colors. It’s picturesque, like being in an art gallery; however, it’s nowhere near as intellectually and emotionally stimulating as an art exhibition.
The best art takes me by surprise and moves my entire being, emotionally and physically. I want to be awestruck.
For many years, I’ve been following the dynamic artistry of Washington, DC Vegan Artist Dana Ellyn. Her no holds barred, cutting-edge artistic creativity continues to explode, connecting personal experience, political upheaval, and the truth about and worldwide demand for Animal Rights.
There's No Place Like Home by Dana Ellyn: 32"x48" acrylic on (unstretched) canvas?$520
In Dana Ellyn’s astonishing and recognizable Wizard of Oz portrayal, the juxtaposition of the red and blue is eerily striking. Dorothy’s ultra-fearful expression of the Covid-19 tornado is apparent and supersedes her fear of Dana’s outstandingly subtle detail of Miss Gulch on her bicycle.
It's significant that Dana chose to have Dorothy clutching and protecting a goose and not Toto. This choice connects the torture of force-feeding geese to produce Foie gras, plus the suffering endured while repeatedly being live-plucked for feathers. The addition of the pig in the blood-red foreground signifies the suffering of all farm animals at the hands of humans.
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Meat Packers Mayday (on May Day) by Dana Ellyn: 15"x15" acrylic on canvas (unstretched)?$340
Dana Ellyn’s dramatic re-invention of the chocolate factory scene from I Love Lucy, one of the most iconic and memorable comedic scenes in television history, touches the very heart of Animal Rights: Factory Farming.
Every year in the United States alone, billions of animals are killed to produce meat, dairy, and eggs. Enter the deadly Covid-19 pandemic:
Tragically, American meatpacking plants are hotspots for Covid-19 outbreaks among human workers. Furthermore, The New York Times has exposed how the Covid-19 outbreaks have caused a backlog of animals, hence, American farmers are gassing, shooting, and using injections to euthanize farm animals.
Dana Ellyn’s creativity is energetic, fearless, and boundless; she ignites the mind, skillfully interpreting human existence and our relationship with non-human animals.
Intensely haunting and thought-provoking, Dana Ellyn’s visual vegan voice is ever-evolving and always contemporarily relevant.
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