Portrait by Rhamel Boyd
Erik Kantar
Conservative Circus
The grand daddy of em’ all: CPAC.
Attracting self-identifying “Trump soldiers” from all over the world, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is a super conference of all things guns, god,Trump, and America.
There’s a decent level of absurd circustry to just about any political conference, no matter where participants lie on the political spectrum, but to grasp what CPAC is, let’s take a step back..
Imagine your sacred, held-tight political views.. I don’t care if you’re from Arkansas or Portland.
In the real world you’d have to defend them against reasonable folks that disagree, because after all..
It’s the real world. And your views, no matter how sacred to you, are nothing more than a dart board for the next fella that comes along.
Now imagine a mythical land far, far away, crowned with Mickey Mouse ears and home to the world’s largest McDonalds:
Orlando, Florida.
And here for just one weekend only.. At the end of a street lined with buffets and a Senor Frogs.. There’s a Regency hotel with a lobby full of fake palm trees..
What if I told you that in the back of that hotel, there’d be hundreds of people, and none would disagree with your beliefs.. No one to explain to you how you’re wrong.. No talk of racism.. And well, so long as you zealously weave guns, god, America, and/or Trump, into anything you say..
You could push the extremity as far as you’d want.. And no one will ease you back.
Instead, you’re praised, cheered for, and patted on the back.
So.. What’s this ideological pressure cooker look like and who’s showing up?
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About Erik
Erik Kantar is a photographer and filmmaker dedicated to off-beat stories nationwide, small town to big city, no matter how bizarre. Erik seeks to redefine what it means to be American through the absurdism and humor of the shared American experience.
He’s currently in production of his first feature length documentary that closely follows characters ranging from old to young, far-right vigilante to far-left punk, indigenous to immigrant, all while coexisting in a tiny, remote desert town 9 miles off the U.S-Mexican border.
Presented by BKC & ASMP NY, The Bridge is a groundbreaking 16-week mentorship program for 18-26 year old emerging photographers and creative artists. To learn more about The Bridge, CLICK HERE.