tiny trump

At A Glance

7,233 participants
distributed 188,538 tiny trumps
across 50 states; 11 countries; 2,549 cities
using 94 different slogans.
$5,225.32 of project proceeds donated

With 7,233 participants across 50 states and 11 countries, tiny trump was one of the largest participatory, activist artworks in recent memory. A “tiny trump” is a 3-inch tall cardboard protest sticker and is sold for 99¢.

product shot of 24 tiny trumps with a ruler showing they are three inches tall — A family of tiny trumps

Introduction

“Jerry from Brooklyn” introduces tiny trump

Summary

While the majority of Americans disapproved of the authoritarian and divisive tones emanating from the Trump White House, most people felt powerless to stop it and, as a result, remained largely inactive. tiny trump helped transform this wide-ranging demographic into activists, one tiny act of resistance at a time, by giving people a publicly visible way to resist and make their voices heard.

Close up of a tiny trump with the slogan "Big Bullies Are Small People" — The front of a tiny trump

The back of a tiny trump reads: tiny trump is guaranteed to minimize trump in your life. Put him somewhere, take a pic, and tag #tinytrump on social media. Then peel this off and stick him somewhere to minimize trump in other people's lives. It really works! Get more at maketrumptiny.com — The back of a tiny trump showing that it’s a peel-able sticker

Artist Statement written 1/8/18

a photograph of a tiny trump in the palm of someone's hand — tiny trump, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, @you_and_me_image

Donald Trump projects himself as larger than life. This is a cover. In reality he is insecure and mentally fragile.

When I hear, “in a short period of time I understood everything there was to know about health care,” and “I know the details of taxes better than anybody,” I do not see a “genius.” I see someone who is insecure about his intelligence and desperate to provide cover for what he doesn’t know.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Anti-Science' held in front of a sign that reads '200,000' dead, they deserved better — tiny trump, Washington DC. Courtesy of Julie Byrne, @flatplant

When I see the president of the United States throwing paper towels at survivors of a natural disaster as though he were playing arcade basketball, I don’t see someone who is trying to lighten the mood. I see a person who either can’t or doesn’t want to be seen empathizing with minorities.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'I love kids in cages' shown stuck to the post of a chain link fence — tiny trump in Southgate, MI. Courtesy of Mike Sams, @mikesams331

When I see him condemn “both sides,” pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and retweet the most offensive anti-Muslim videos without context, I see a morally weak leader unwilling to condemn bigotry, hatred, and racism.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Racist' stuck to a garbage can that's labeled 'Litter' — tiny trump, location unknown. Courtesy of Alyssa Chance, @runthechance

When I see the record rate at which he lies and the contempt he has for journalistic institutions I see someone who simply isn’t mentally strong enough to engage with the truth.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Fux News' held in front of Fox News headquarters in NYC — tiny trump, New York City. Courtesy of Julie Byrne, @flatplant

When I see him engage in tit-for-tat reprisals with Rosie O’Donnell, Mika Brzezinski, Megyn Kelly, and boast about “grabbing [women] by the pussy,” I see a misogynist.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Pussy Grabber' stuck to a pair of panties being shown on a mannequin — tiny trump, location unknown, @neauxlachic

And when he insults a Muslim gold star family, calls Mexicans “drug dealers, criminals, rapists”, and refers to black majority countries as “shitholes,” I see a xenophobe and a racist.

a black and white photo of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Family Separator' in the foreground; children playing in the background — tiny trump, Washington DC. Courtesy of Julie Byrne, @flatplant

In short, I do not see a big man when I look at donald trump. Quite the opposite. I see a small-minded and petty man. I see tiny trump. And I am not alone.

a photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan 'Wrong Side of History' placed on top of a pile of dog crap — tiny trump, location unknown. Courtesy of John Yee, @ninoyee

tiny trump gives those who see trump as small a means to exert ourselves in a publicly visible and meaningful way.

—Eric Corriel, written 1/8/18

a photograph of someone holding a tiny trump with the slogan 'No Empathy, No Sympathy, No Compassion' in front of the White House — tiny trump, Washington D.C. Photographer unknown

Products

Cardboard protest stickers

a photograph of five rows of tiny trumps, each row containing 12 unique tiny trumps, — Set of 60 unique tiny trumps

A tiny trump is a 3-inch tall cardboard protest sticker. Inspired by the classic cardboard protest sign, tiny trumps are shrunken down to fit in a pocket so participants can deploy them anywhere.

an unboxing photo of five tiny trumps positioned on top of the participant welcome letter and next to the paper brown bag pouch stamped 'tiny trump' that they came in — Photo credit: Jill Rittinger, @jillritenger.

tiny trumps were sold in packs of 12 , with the most popular option being a set of 24 for $21.36 (89¢ each). tiny trumps were packaged in brown paper bags and sent with a participant welcome letter.

Traditional stickers

Product photograph of a 4 inch by 6 inch sticker sheet consisting of a yellow background and 12 individual tiny trumps with the following slogans: Big Bullies Are Small People, Thumbs Down, Low Life, 72% Lies, I love kids in cages, Lethally Stupid, The Swamp, Fragile Ego, Bigot, Fearful of the Press — Sticker family 1

A compilation of 4 different tiny trump vinyl sticker sheets. Each sheet has a yellow background and 12 individual tiny trump stickers with different slogans

Small thumbnail image of Product photograph of a 4 inch by 6 inch sticker sheet consisting of a yellow background and 12 individual tiny trumps with the following slogans: Big Bullies Are Small People, Thumbs Down, Low Life, 72% Lies, I love kids in cages, Lethally Stupid, The Swamp, Fragile Ego, Bigot, Fearful of the Press

Small thumbnail image of A compilation of 4 different tiny trump vinyl sticker sheets. Each sheet has a yellow background and 12 individual tiny trump stickers with different slogans

Traditional stickers were sold as a cheaper option to the cardboard protest stickers. Four different sheets were available for $5.00 each (42¢ per sticker). Individual tiny trump stickers measured 1.75” tall.

Protest signs

A two foot tall cardboard cutout tiny trump protest sign (in the image of a full bodied trump) leaning against a bike rack in the street in Brooklyn, New York. It is nightime and a yellow cab is blurred in the background as it whizes by. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

tiny trump began as cardboard protest signs designed to be left or photographed in the public realm (see “The Original tiny trump” section below). Each protest sign was made from cardboard found on the street, the hands and head were painted by hand (finger-painted to be exact), and the slogan was stamped on both sides using a custom designed press.

Two foot tall caricature cardboard cut out of trump with clown like hands and swooshy hair. Head and hands are painted bright orange and the slogan Big Bullies Are Small People is stamped in black ink across the chest. The cardboard is clearly used—it has shipping labels on it. Gray photo studio background.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Pussy Grabber.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Enemy of the People.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Property of Russia.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Low Ratings.

Same as previous image except the slogan is 72% Lies.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Cry Baby.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Low Life.

Same as previous image except the slogan is Loser.

Small thumbnail image of Two foot tall caricature cardboard cut out of trump with clown like hands and swooshy hair. Head and hands are painted bright orange and the slogan Big Bullies Are Small People is stamped in black ink across the chest. The cardboard is clearly used—it has shipping labels on it. Gray photo studio background.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Pussy Grabber.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Enemy of the People.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Property of Russia.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Low Ratings.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is 72% Lies.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Cry Baby.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Low Life.

Small thumbnail image of Same as previous image except the slogan is Loser.

Nine slogans were created for the protest sign version of tiny trump: Big Bullies Are Small People, Pussy Grabber, Enemy of the People, Property of Russia, Low Rating, 72% Lies, Cry Baby, Low Life, and Loser.

A two foot tall cardboard cutout tiny trump protest sign with the slogan Low Life looking up at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Photograph angle is pointed up sharply so only the tiny trump, monument, and sky are visible — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Approximately 1,000 such signs were made. At the beginning of the project they were available for free online (donations accepted). The majority were given away for free at marches and some were sold for $19.99.

Lawn/Apartment signs

Two foot tall lawn sign in the shape of a tiny trump—a cardboard cutout caricature of trump—with a thumbs down sign on the chest. The lawn sign is made out of plastic, is white with orange head and hands. It is mounted on a lawn in front of a suburban house which is in the background. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

As trumpism became more popular and its symbols proliferated in the public realm it became important for tiny trump to respond with a larger, more permanent countervailing force. The tiny trump lawn sign worked 24/7, through all weather conditions, towards this end. It was designed to draw more attention to Biden/Harris signs and sap energy from trump/pence signs.

Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown next to a trump/pense campaign sign. The two signs are situated in a garden on a lawn. The tiny trump sign is taller than the trump/pense sign by about six inches — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Close up photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown on the side of a road. A blurred SUV on a road is in motion in the background. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign in a crowded jumble of other Democrat and Republican campaign signs. Needless to say, it stands out:) — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown next to a Biden/Harris lawn sign. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump lawn shown in an apartment window. The perspective of the photograph is sharply upward, with the tiny trump occuping the lower half of a brownstone apartment window. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown next to a trump/pense campaign sign. The two signs are situated in a garden on a lawn. The tiny trump sign is taller than the trump/pense sign by about six inches

Small thumbnail image of Close up photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown on the side of a road. A blurred SUV on a road is in motion in the background.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign in a crowded jumble of other Democrat and Republican campaign signs. Needless to say, it stands out:)

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump lawn sign shown next to a Biden/Harris lawn sign.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump lawn shown in an apartment window. The perspective of the photograph is sharply upward, with the tiny trump occuping the lower half of a brownstone apartment window.

tiny trump lawn signs were sold for $24.99.

From Instagram user <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CF4hqhLghmu/" target="_blank">@daidria</a>

A photo posted by Eric Corriel (@ericcorriel)

“ENOUGH” stickers

Photograph of a tiny trump with the slogan Lies Lies Lies stuck in the middle of a white bumper sticker with large orange type that says ENOUGH in all caps — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

The tiny trump “ENOUGH” sticker acted as a visual amplifier for a regular tiny trump. Participants could stick their favorite tiny trump in the middle of an “ENOUGH” sticker template to broadcast, in all caps, what they had had enough of.

The stickers were designed to stand out on a variety of surfaces, from laptops to car bumpers.

Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker. The sticker says "ENOUGH" in big, bright orange letters, in all caps, and between the "O" and "U" is a dashed outline of a tiny trump with instructions for the user to "Stick tiny trump here" displayed in the middle of the dashed outline. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a laptop. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Racist, so the combination reads ENOUGH Racist — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a car bumper. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Fake News, so the combination reads ENOUGH Fake News. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a dumpster in the street. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Sexist, so the combination reads ENOUGH Sexist — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker. The sticker says "ENOUGH" in big, bright orange letters, in all caps, and between the "O" and "U" is a dashed outline of a tiny trump with instructions for the user to "Stick tiny trump here" displayed in the middle of the dashed outline.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a laptop. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Racist, so the combination reads ENOUGH Racist

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a car bumper. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Fake News, so the combination reads ENOUGH Fake News.

Small thumbnail image of Photograph of a tiny trump ENOUGH sticker on a dumpster in the street. The tiny trump stuck in the middle bears the slogan Sexist, so the combination reads ENOUGH Sexist

The “ENOUGH” sticker measured 7.5” x 3.75” and sold for $4.00. It was designed by Sam Potts.

Enamel Pins

Photograph of a brown tiny trump enamel pin with a thumbs down sign on the left lapel of a man's suit blazer — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

The tiny trump enamel pin took its inspiration from the American flag pin politicians wear. While it was primarily designed to show resistance in formal, political settings, its small size made it equally adept at being an fashion accessory fit for a backpack or tote.

tiny trump enamel pins measured 1.5” high and sold for $3.50.

Media

CNN

Screenshot of CNN.com on a mobile device showing a protest in front of the Capitol Building with one activist holding up a tiny trump with the slogan Big Bullies Are Small People — Screenshot courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

During the Kavaunaugh confirmation hearings CNN showed an image of a protester holding a tiny trump on the homepage of their mobile site from Friday, October 6th to Monday, October 8th 2018. The image was taken from the protest below.

Protest video from Instagram user rhiannonnavin

Netflix

tiny trump appeared in Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design, Season 2, Episode 8: when National Design Award winner, Gail Anderson is being interviewed in her office.

Senator Chuck Schumer

Senator Chuck Schumer was given a tiny trump by SVA student Laura del Pino at the 2020 Women’s March in New York City.

Protests

Women’s March 2019 in Washington D.C.

In January of 2019, Eric and members of the Black Student Union, Veterans Coalition, and students from his Artist as Activist class at School of Visual Arts went down to Washington D.C. to pass out over 500 tiny trumps to protesters and participate in the march. A very limited edition of 20 golden tiny trumps were made for this purpose and distributed to students.

12 golden tiny trumps standing on their own accord against a gate outside of the White House — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Photograph of a Black female posing with a tiny trump with the slogan Big Bullies Are Small People; she is giving the tiny trump the middle finger with both hands. In the background a police car passes by and further in the background is the Washington Monument. — SVA student posing with tiny trump

Photograph of a Black female 'walking' a tiny trump that says Dog with a dog collar. The Washington Monument is in the background. — SVA student posing with tiny trump

Photograph of a Black male holding a tiny trump high in the air in a sign of defiance — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Women’s March 2020 in New York City

In 2020, Eric led a different group of SVA students from the Asian American Student Union, the Black Student Union, and Women in Animation to the Women’s March in New York City. Students gave away tiny trumps large and small before marching in the wind and snow from the Upper West Side to Times Square.

Students gave away tiny trumps large and small before marching in the wind and snow from the Upper West Side to Times Square. Senator Chuck Schumer was in attendance and was given, and took, a tiny trump.

Photograph from the side of two students marching through a very windy and snowy New York City street, each holding a tiny trump — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Group photograph 8 people, including the artist, holding up tiny trumps during the protest march, in a NYC intersection. In the background the street sign denoting 55th street is visible. — Photo courtesy of Eric Corriel Studios

Donations

60% of the tips generated by this project went to the NAACP LDF (whose mission it is to “seek structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice”) and to varying Democratic organizations. Donations were also made to the NAACP on the 25th of every month as a way of remembering George Floyd. The complete list of donations made is as follows:

6/3/2020: $500 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
7/25/2020: $277 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
7/31/2020: $277 to Joe Biden’s Campaign
8/25/2020: $382.35 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
8/30/2020: $382.35 to Joe Biden’s Campaign
9/25/2020: $395.61 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
9/25/2020: $395.61 to Joe Biden’s Campaign
10/25/2020: $884.00 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
10/25/2020: $884.00 to Joe Biden’s Campaign
11/25/2020: $153.68 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
11/25/2020: $153.68 to Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Initiative
12/25/2020: $31.21 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
12/25/2020: $31.21 to Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Initiative
1/25/2020: $148.50 to NAACP Legal Defense Fund
1/25/2020: $148.50 to Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Initiative
10/1/2024: $180.90 to Kamala Harris’ Campaign

TOTAL DONATED: $5,225.32

More information about the financial side of the project can be found here.

DIY and Open-Source

It was important for the artist that people not be limited by financial constraints to participate in the project so all assets were released as an open source Github repository. Anyone could make their own tiny trumps by getting Avery 8165 labels and printing a simple template.