Astroturfing is a manipulation technique that masks the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear like it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants. Techniques like astroturfing are crucial to building effective propaganda campaigns because propaganda requires organized communities in order to execute action.
This series of text pieces carved from artificial grass depicts phrases appropriated from signs at anti-mask/lockdown protests in 2020. Many of these initial protests were deemed “astroturfing” because they were started by a single person or a few people of power posing as large community groups. I selected signs that seemed intentionally vague, where the audience can supply their own meaning: “Facts over Fear” (8.5 x 7.5 ft), “Stop Crying Wolf” (7.5 x 9 ft), and “Don’t Mask The Truth” (16 x 16 ft circle of letters).