Leadership – Barry™

Acrylic on Canvas, 4’H x 6’W

In Leadership, Barry™ places Captain America in a morally fraught role: standing not in support of war, but as a shield—literally and figuratively—for the innocent. Surrounded by characters representing Afghani and Iraqi women and children, he crouches between them and an unseen force: the airstrikes and policies unleashed by his own government.

While technically parody, the piece echoes real-world contradictions. Captain America is traditionally a symbol of U.S. strength and patriotism—but here, that symbolism fractures. This is not the glossy hero of recruitment posters. This is a man compromised by allegiance, caught in the wake of a perpetual war machine and the disillusionment that followed the promises of Barack Obama.

Rendered with cinematic seriousness, the painting challenges the viewer to confront the selective application of justice and the cost of loyalty. If even the icons of virtue are conflicted, what does that say about the nation they represent?