Display Of Campaign Signs At Orange County Home An Homage To Losing Presidential Candidates
ORANGE (CBSLA) — With the 2020 presidential election fast approaching, one home in the city of Orange is paying tribute to those who ran, but did not win the highest office in the land.
A home on the corner of Fairhaven and Cedarwood in Orange has put up dozens of election signs, but none of them say Trump or Biden. All of the signs are from losing candidates of presidential campaigns past.
The display is an art installation by Nina Katchadourian in partnership with Cal State Fullerton's Grand Central Art Center. The temporary display is called "Monument to the Unelected," highlighting losing candidates over the years.
A sampling of the signs say "Go for Greeley," "Who Can Do It? Dewey Can!" and "Grover Cleveland Proud To Serve." According to Scientific American, political yard signs may date back to 1824 when John Quincy Adams had signs printed for his ultimately losing presidential run, but the current version of colorful yard signs seems to have originated in the '60s.
None of the art installation's signs were actually used by the candidates, but they were all made in contemporary design vernacular, according to Grand Central Art Center. The display is being shown simultaneously in three other locations -- at Pace, New York, the Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, and at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. similarly pays tribute to losing presidential campaigns they call "Also Rans" -- a collection of portraits of presidential candidates who did not win the White House.
