Contemporary Peace/Contemporary Art: A New Look Into The Future

Posted on December 7, 2010 by green

When writing about peace in art, a fellow curator recently replied rather somberly “Is there any”? A good question, one to be answered right here Picasso`s dove symbol for peace has been widely celebrated. Here his pastel coloured 1952 lithograph, of a fractured dove could well be alluding to the fragility of humanity, particularly in the face of war. I find rainbows are always awe-inspiring and magical, this one is no exception, especially put in the context of the Cold War.Leonard Lehrer’s latest work, Six Views of Paradise, offer a respite from a hopeless climate. The intellect will be drawn to this oasis in the all the detritus that surrounds us, but it does not stop there. We can then go beyond the mind to recognise the energy that imbues us to fight, to fear, to love, to laugh-and to be at peace with it. Flying fish, blow our rigid concepts and we recognise our laughter and joy at absurdities of life.Through the forces of nature, we recognise our strength, our turbulent confusion as the winds of change blow. The setting sun images our fear of fading, our fear of death and disappearing-fear of moving beyond the ego.In Barcarole, the water layered upon one another is arguably self-reflexive, delving into the deep waters that represent our emotions, it is here where we can eventually find inner peace. The waters from Venetian canals are permitting us a peek into Venice`s history as an international trading port for art in the 15th Century, where it was a time of great occidental and oriental exchange. It is these kinds of cultural exchanges that have sparked peaceful relations between nations and cultures. Cultural diplomacy is the key to paving our peaceful future. Hedy Maimann’s art is far from brash and overt, it is subtle and deep. This is in counterbalance to brutal shock tactics that is so pervasive in art. She is convinced there is enough brutality in the world that causes people to close. Then, there are healing colours of purple and purifying blue. It is in this place that we are invited to go deeper. The subtle symbols peek out at us. They are triggers to overcome the barriers of the mind and delve into the souls vibrations to see the essence of things: of life and conflicts. We are able, through Hedy Maimann’s art to go beyond judgement to a place of forgiveness within ourselves and with each other that leads us eventually to peace.