r/Art • u/TopZ-undercover • 4h ago
Political Art Rest in Peace Alex, Topsy, Spray Paint, 2026
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u/TopZ-undercover 4h ago
As horrified and angered I am over Alex’s murder, I wanted to make something beautiful that honored how he lived his life. Rest in Peace, Alex.
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u/Fickle_Razzmatazz664 3h ago
I'm 45 and consider myself fairly tough/stoic. This made my eyes water.
The thematic combo of him helping up the real-life woman and assisting Justice in getting back on her feet is brilliant. Bravo.
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u/PersonalCulture 2h ago
Yeah I saw this right after the picture of his coworkers holding a moment of silence for him and I’m just a mess of tears right now.
He was just a good person trying to do the right thing.
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u/RaygunMarksman 1h ago
Man, around the same age and same here. Unexpected misty eyes. Really captured the multiple tragedies of the situation in one image. I really miss feeling some pride in my country, God dammit.
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u/Fickle_Razzmatazz664 1h ago
I mean - you can be ashamed of your government but proud of the tens of millions taking severe physical risks to stand up to tyranny.
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u/SalzburySteak13 3h ago
This is very moving. Would you mind if I were to print this and post it in my town? I’m from a small town in Illinois and I’ve been printing out great signs and art to hopefully move/inspire/piss off the far right in my town.
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u/Moist-Walk217 3h ago
Going to share some thoughts on this, as someone who isn't just circlejerking feels on reddit. I'm Canadian but served my country and also work in health care. This is going to be a ramble but I want to put my true thoughts down.
When I heard what happened to this man near my age, I was floored. This should be something that unites the left and right in the country. I mean heck on paper he was everything they claim to support: a white guy expressing his 2A rights who helped sick Veterans.
This should be what rallies the Right away from ICE and Trumps fascism and gets their support. I don't know if it will but I hope his death awakens many people's eyes.
Now onto how I feel about your piece: this goes hard because it shows its message beautifully with a lot of symbolism without whacking you over the head with it. He's a man who served justice in a time when it was not being served. His track record shows what kind a man he was. And for that he was executed. Let's call it what it was: a deliberate, cold hard execution.
He died defending what many people on the right support, not just people on the left. This means it's not right verses left, its us verses them.
The US needs to get its us together and fight back against the them. Don't let this man's death be in vain. I won't call it a sacrifice, I'm sure he'd much rather be here, same as his family, but at least don't let him die in vain.
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u/DarJinZen7 2h ago
It won't. It should but it won't. Why? Because he was not a conservative, and even if he was he was at a protest against ICE. They are all for what ICE is doing because that's their team and you don't betray your own team for those evil commie demorats and their illegal immigrant loving American hating ways.
That sounds ridiculous because it is but that's what's been done to this country, its what they trying to do across the world.
There are people celebrating the terror and violence being inflicted on American cities. They love it. They've been waiting for this for years and they finally get to see their enemies suffer. Enemies that never knew they were at war with their fellow Americans.
The propaganda memo has been to compare his murder to Laken Riley. Its another massive false equivalency, its all lies, but to their voters its us vs them. They will not care unless it effects them personally and by them it will be too late.
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u/subnautus 1h ago
They will not care unless it effects them personally and by them it will be too late.
Considering that video of a guy who was literally dying of COVID-19 saying he stood by his decision not to get vaccinated, I don't think there's much hope of them caring even as the boot is on their neck.
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u/Fettnaepfchen 4h ago
Great art born from tragedy. RIP, Alex.
This needs to be a sticker to be put in many places. Or a t-shirt for healthcare workers.
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u/Unteyetled_username 4h ago
Your skill and bravery speak for many that cannot. We need it now more than ever. Thank you. Truly.
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u/UpperApe 3h ago
This is really beautiful. And heartbreaking.
God damn it. This is really hard to look at.
But thank you so much for making this.
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u/PracticalShoulder916 3h ago
From someone watching on horrified from a country half a world away, this brought tears to my eyes.
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u/6854wiggles 3h ago
What building is it on? Your creativity is amazing, a great message in one picture.
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u/TopZ-undercover 3h ago
this is across the street from swedish hospital in first hill (seattle) but I think it's technically on an SU building
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u/missbeekery 1h ago
I just saw it shared in the Seattle sub. I’m glad to be part of a shared community with you.
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u/Rarefindofthemind 3h ago
I cried. What an incredibly beautiful tribute to an incredibly beautiful human.
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u/Benromaniac 1h ago
A close friend of Alex of 10 years is interviewed here https://www.npr.org/2026/01/26/nx-s1-5688898/alex-pretti-remembered-as-friend-nurse-and-dog-dad
Alex was very positive male figure in his social circles.
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u/dragonfly_c 2h ago
Beautiful work that brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for making it and sharing it.
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u/goodformuffin 11m ago
I’m absolutely bawling. This is by far the most moving piece of art I’ve seen in a long time. When I saw the video, there was no warning on it. I was instantly traumatized by what I saw. My hearts been aching, I’ve been crying sporadicly. while this doesn’t bring back Alex, it honours him in an amazing way. I hope it’s seen everywhere.
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u/NJ50501_Outreach 1h ago
This is absolutely beautiful; what a wonderful tribute to a life unfairly taken. Thank you so much for your sharing your incredible art!! ABOLISH ICE
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u/Longjumping-Cow4488 28m ago
gorgeous and rightfully painted. thank you for your service as an artist
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u/ripndipp 4h ago
I was in the nursing profession for 8 years of my life, in oncology, respirology and geriatrics. To lose a person like this is horrible, nurses do things that people owns parents cannot do, and most of us do it because we'll damn who else is going to do it.
Very upsetting he is gone, he was a male nurse like me and my age, and that speech he gave to that vet really brought a year to my eye.
R.i.P Alex Pretti
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u/555Cats555 2h ago
And he cared for veterans too... the people pretty much thrown aside by government after risking their lives
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u/mrrizal71O 2h ago
I saw a comment saying how Alex literally would have helped anyone, even the ICE agents who shot him.... The statement his parents put out tore me to shreds.... They are so right that his life had an impact he could have never imagined
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u/jad0redi0r 3h ago
This made me tear up
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u/fllannell 36m ago edited 2m ago
It is a truly powerful allegory.
In a way, The lady in the pink coat (and anyone using their cell phone to video record) is something like Prudentia, watching over Justice, with the connected collective wisdom of us all.
Prudentia is usually depicted as carrying a snake and a looking glass, watching over or accompanying lady Justice.
Alex Pretti easily represents the cardinal virtue Fortitudo... COURAGE.
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u/Verdens-rommet 3h ago
Please post this to the nursing subreddit!
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u/peppersk8er 1h ago
OP do this! I’m sure they’d love to see it! They just changed their subreddit icon to honour him 💗
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u/markoyolo 3h ago
This has made me emotional more than any other tribute I've seen for him. Rest in power, Alex.
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u/bonefawn 3h ago
I love that she is holding balanced scales. Because thats how its supposed to be.
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u/FrancoManiac 2h ago
That's Lady Justice, the personification of the judicial branch of government.Here's the Wikipedia article.
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u/timeandmemory 3h ago
Topsy I really like the messages and the way you portray them, keep it coming bud, and thank you.
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u/-BigBoo- 3h ago
I love that it's not a stencil. That's great. Nice hands.
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u/TopZ-undercover 3h ago
Hate to break it to you but it’s actually many stencils lol - but I draw and cut them myself
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u/-BigBoo- 3h ago
You wrote spray paint! DECEIVER!! Okay, okay I kid, still nice job.
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u/peppersk8er 1h ago
The stencil is filled with spray paint :O
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u/-BigBoo- 43m ago
I know I was just joshing you. Trying to compensate for my misreading your title.
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u/TheCortisolCorvid 3h ago
This is something that only humans can do. Go out and put their emotions on a physical object, with the risk and hassle and everything else. Sending strength from Canada.
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u/p1ayernotfound 4h ago
for some reason i got reminded of "The Accolade" with the ancap flag in the back
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u/petalandpuff 3h ago
Topsy… this is beautiful on many levels. I’m gutted that you had reason to create it.
RIP Alex🕊️
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u/Chinaroos 3h ago
One day this will be a statue. It will be cast in bronze and installed in a park full of trees and flowers.
It may not be tomorrow but it will be.
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u/retroverted-uterus 2h ago
As terrible as this all is, Minneapolis is a city that deeply loves its neighbors. Once this madness ends, and it WILL end someday, our artists will make sure we don't forget those who were made martyrs by state violence. Renee and Alex's faces will grace the buildings of that beautiful city for years and years, just as George's does now. Thank you for this tribute.
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u/Urist_Bearclaw 2h ago
Scrolling by this I broke into a sob. Thank you for honoring him like this and for expressing how a lot of us feel about his act of bravery and decency.
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u/Distinguishedflyer 2h ago
you know, I've been holding in so much grief because I don't even know how to cope with reality anymore. Looking at this broke the dam and I just sobbed. Thanks very much, keep up the good work.
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u/Brown-_-Batman 2h ago
The image somehow is even more impactful than I imagined when I clicked the link. Very well done. RIP brother Alex.
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u/54338042094230895435 1h ago
If you start selling stickers on Etsy, please reply to me with a link.
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u/Calintarez 1h ago
Justice is on her knees. ordinary people are the ones that will lift her up again.
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u/sugarbear2071 1h ago
This made me burst into tears immediately. Thanks for sharing your art with us. It is beautiful and devastating 💔
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u/fllannell 40m ago edited 1m ago
In a way, The lady in the pink coat (and anyone using their cell phone to video record) is something like Prudentia, watching over Justice, with the connected collective wisdom of us all.
Prudentia is usually depicted as carrying a snake and a looking glass, watching over or accompanying lady Justice.
Alex Pretti easily represents the cardinal virtue Fortitudo... COURAGE.
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u/TimFromSeattle 2h ago
Powerful!
Thanks for sharing your art with us! I really enjoy seeing it around the hill.
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u/OnionsHaveLairAction 2h ago
Incredible. The right wing will be here, like everywhere, saying that the murder of Petti was good, and they'll leave their soft threats here too that we and our loved ones should also be killed if we stand up to the state. But art like this is what helps unify us.
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u/InternationalFig400 1h ago
Thank you for this. At the Titanic exhibition, as we exited, there was a quote on the wall: "We are all passengers on the Titanic."
Thanks to your beautiful art, we are all protesting injustices. It forms an everlasting link, and indelible memory to a REAL brave human being. RIP, Alex--you will NEVER be forgotten.
:...............(
Thank you again.
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u/AGInnkeeper 1h ago
Very touching, love this art you created.
It appears ICE pepper sprayed Lady Justice, no surprise.
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u/CalebsNailSpa 1h ago
Put this on a hoody and give the profits to a charity that fits. This is the best image I have seen that captures it.
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u/Kiwi_Frogg 1h ago
Absolutely beautiful and moving artwork message, as heartbreaking as the tragedy is.
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u/Average_Misanthrope 3h ago
Looks amazing! ❤️
I hope it is in a safe place away from graffiti to trash it. I have seen the desecration ICE or others have done at other memorials.
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u/horse_you_rode_in_on r/Art Moderation Team 4h ago
I know that not everyone reads the AutoMod post, so just to be absolutely clear: political artwork is permitted on r/Art. If you don't understand why this post is allowed, please reread rule 14.
You can stop reporting this, it's staying up.