Jan 23, 20212 min read

WhyTheAlgarve on Wikimedia Commons

***Edit Feb 21, 2020:

It looks like Wikimedia Commons is drawing a hard line in the sand and have deleted all these files. There is a post about it here. I will be trying another tactic. More news soon.

I created an account at Wikimedia Commons, allowing me to upload images there. Here is my page. My plan is to upload graphics like these ones, as well as just regular photos. I'm a big supporter of the Commons in its various forms. Please see Flickr and Pexels for some of my contributions.

Bernie Sanders - Steel Plate

Donald Trump - Aqua Cinder Block Wall Spotlight

I wanted the version of Trump that I added to the Commons to be a little more ominous and a little more usable, so I ditched the clown nose, switched out the brick wall for a cinder block wall, and added a soft spotlight. Cinder block walls are just about as cheap and unattractive a building material as it gets, which makes it a better building material for Trump than brick. And nothing says fascism like a spotlight on a dirty, industrial wall. Finally, I kept the colour aqua for the same reason I used it the first time - I couldn't give him the respect to colour him red. Way too on the nose and too much what he would like. A variation on blue seemed appropriate given the Democrats' win(s), and aqua evokes a swimming pool, a symbol of the luxury he is so obsessed with.

The original photo of Trump that I used was taken by the prolific and generous Gage Skidmore. He even has a Wikipedia page. Many thanks to Mr. Skidmore for his work. He is a wonderful example of how great the Commons can be.