Saturday 4 December 2010

OVER WHERE? - the show

OVER WHERE? - the show

OVER WHERE?

Over where – final



The show ‘Over Where’ is organized in 2 distinctive parts:

‘Over There, one year on’ occupies the South gallery followed by ‘Over Where’ In the North Gallery. Two triptyches commenting on the current state of the conflict zone Israel/Palestine in the language of painting. Throughout the working process my aim was not to be didactic or literal but to give a subjective interpretation of my impressions of the current situation in the conflict zone, sourced by 2 recent journeys of which a photographic documentation is displayed on the outside of the gallery.



The central part of the show is the Over Where’ triptych which is juxtaposed with ‘the Wall’, ‘Two Suns’ and “Prisoners’ - the ‘One Year On’ triptych in the North Gallery.



One land, 2 rightful owners: Israel/Palestine.



While peace negotiations are on their way – we know very little of what is going on, waiting to hear about the outcome. What is possible? One state, or a two state solution - Is the expectation of peace realistic, or more war, more fighting and more losses of lives, more violence…



Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she has no magic formula for solving the current stalemate in Middle East peace talks, but said the Obama administration has “not given up” on its commitment to help the Israeli and Palestinians achieve a two-state solution through negotiations.

“I cannot stand here tonight and tell you there is some magic formula that I have discovered that will break through the current impasse,” Clinton told the American Task Force for Palestine gala Wednesday night. “But I can tell you we are working every day, sometimes every hour, to create the conditions for negotiations to continue and succeed.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43960.html#ixzz13xmwF319



This is the background and basis for my current work.



The centre of my part of the show is in situated the North Gallery: the Over Where triptych.

The painting ‘Bleeding’ takes centre stage of the triptych.

“Bleeding’, a long and thin amorphous golden creature (Israel/Palestine), is flanked by 2 large, predominantly bright red paintings, that comment on the uncertainty and the unknown aspect of the outcome of the negotiations and the inherent violence of the current situation.



In the North Gallery another triptych: the painting ‘The Wall’, which is a diagrammatic rendition of the current actual state of affairs, flanked by ‘2 Suns’ and ‘Prisoners’, neither of which use photographic references. ‘Two Suns’ – one land? Israel Palestine – whilst ‘Prisoners’, carries post holocaust references whilst simultaneously alluding to the fate of imprisoned Palestinians.



Further paintings in the show: before entering the gallery space you pass the 'Via Dolorosa', ‘The Flotilla Incident’ in situated in the North gallery, whilst 'Hebron', one of the strongholds of the Occupation, is isolated lost, a smaller monochrome black painting right at the beginning of the exhibition.

Wednesday 20 October 2010

OVER THERE- one year on

OVER THERE- one year on

Is a continuation of my research project ‘Over There’

The overall focus of my project is the current socio/political situation in the conflict zone, Israel - Palestine. Revisit the place, replenish my photographic documentation, observe, talk to people and then produce a new, follow-on series of paintings partly based or inspired by my observations.