Trump Pigs on the 10 Freeway

Like many folks, I sank into a hole two Novembers ago. I’m not saying I was hiding in that hole, but I slid far enough down in there that I might as well have been. Eventually I began climbing back out, finding hope, mostly through my students. Sadness and anger don’t go very far, I kept telling myself; you have to do something too.

Someone who’s doing something is Riot, the 55-year-old artist behind the “IMA PIG!” Trump graffiti that can be found all over Los Angeles. I see two of those piggies — he calls them “Trumpedos” — every weekday on my drive to work, and they bring a smile to my face. It probably doesn’t hurt that the first pig appears on the 10 right when my coffee kicks in.

Riot has been making art in public since the late 1980s, when he and another artist named Joker founded the Non Stop crew. I chatted on the phone with Riot recently about the meaning behind the piggies and why he keeps climbing on the freeway at night. Our conversation below has been edited for length and clarity.

Before we get into the graffiti, can you tell me more about your work in general?

I work with just everything I can get my hands on. My mom is a retired textile artist, and she taught me how to draw from like a really, really early age. From there I got into graffiti, tattooing, acrylics, digital art, printing T-shirts, Basically, if I can get paint all over the place and ruin my clothes, I'm down to do it.

In terms of graffiti, do you ever just write "Riot" or do you always accompany it with a drawing? 

I used to write "Elf," and I would make characters from the letters. I would use the lower-case E for the left eye, an L for the nose, and a backwards F for the right eye. And then I would put a little hat and a little squiggle to make it a face.

Through my art, I've enjoyed doing characters. I like to do something that's iconic and have it recognized by itself without a signature, but my girlfriend kind of pushes me to sign them. She's really supportive and she wants me to get the recognition she feels I deserve, so I started putting my name. Mainly I just really enjoy characters and street art type graffiti.

So, the big question: Why are you painting pigs that look like Donald Trump on the 10?

It's my way to vote. It's my way to protest nonviolently against the president of the United States. To show my expression of my dislike of his corrupt ways and crimes he has committed against women, immigrants, the war crimes he is committing currently. To me he is a disgusting pig, so it seemed appropriate.

How many Trump pigs are out there? I've seen two of my drive to work, but I am guessing there are others

Currently? I don't know. I have them all over the city. I also have stickers and posters. What I do know is that every time one comes down, two more go up.

How did you come up with the look for the pig? Did you sketch it out in advance before you went out the first time?  

Years ago I was incarcerated and witnessed a lot of inhumane treatment towards prisoners. I came up with the pig design; if you notice, their eyes are always crossed out to represent that they are dead or — you know when a gang crosses out another gang? — it's a sign of disrespect. It's always been anti-fascism, anti-establishment. They're fascist pigs.

The Trump pig works so well because of that hair. What do you think it is about his hair that makes it so iconic?

I feel like Trump's toupee is as ridiculous as he is. He wears it as some sort of uniform but it's more like a costume. And being so iconic, it makes it that much easier for me to make fun of him through my graffiti.

Tell me about the first pig you painted. How did it feel going out and painting that? Did it turn out as you planned?

I can't really recall the first pig I did. But the first Trumpedo I did felt very liberating. Tens of thousands* of people drive the LA freeways every single day, so for me it felt like the best way to be able to protest without being censored. I mean, sure, they buff the walls, like a form of censorship, but still, the fight continues and more and more people see my message.

So, what else do you have in the works? Do you have any other projects or any other graffiti in mind?

I'm always doing graffiti. Always. Always. Always. I work 9 to 5 and I run a nonprofit so on my days off I like to go out and paint as my therapy. I also have an art residency at Sludge Cycles. I have a bunch of the Trump piggies on canvases that look like the Priority Mail stickers. I have a bunch of merch there and an art show coming up at the end of September. Sludge Cycles at 2710 South Broadway. They're open Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. You can pick up T-shirts, hats, all kinds of merch there.

Any other questions you wish I'd asked? And what would the answers be?

Nah. Like I said, it's just a form of nonviolent protest. It's just a disgrace what this country has become, and I'm very passionate about political issues and people's rights. This country has been built on immigrants coming over. We're all immigrants.

It's just insane to me what this man has done to this country. We can't even get reliable news anymore. He has control of the news, the media, everything. I feel like graffiti is one of our only outlets to protest and get our voices out. That's why I keep doing it. I'm 55 years old. I'm still out there, just protesting. We're not going to be silenced. 

*Editor’s note: It's actually hundreds of thousands of people who drive the Santa Monica Freeway each day.