Broken Glass Broken Lives 24x30"
On the night of November 10, 1938 a pogrom was visited upon the Jewish people of Germany and Austria. Nazi Stormtroopers and civilians went on a rampage and destroyed hundreds of Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues. 94 Jews were killed and more than 30,000 were sent to concentration camps. Often referred to as "The Night of Broken Glass", news reports of the events were a wake-up call to many countries that had been lulled into a false sense of peace.
I gessoed the canvas and then covered the entire surface with cheesecloth and another layer of gesso. A colour scheme of burnt umber, raw umber and cream suggests the dull November landscape. Stars of David are scattered across the canvas - some stamped on, some stenciled with gold paint, two silver ones wired on, and a broken gold one in the middle of the piece.
Newspaper headlines of the time were adhered with matte medium as were scraps of Hebraic writing, and photos of the devastation. Highlights of water soluble oil pastels show off the texture of the cheesecloth. Bits of broken glass, mirror and crockery litter the canvas. Along the bottom the cheesecloth has been fashioned into rough prayer shawls.
Many historians see this as the beginning of the Holocaust and as a turning point in world opinion to the horror of the Nazi Regime. Ironic that it happened on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the end of WWI.
Erin, this is--if one can say the word beautiful and Kristallnacht in the same sentence--a powerful rendering of an unfathomable event. And it is beautiful and moving. I am loving your website and your artwork. I feel filled up and refreshed, even though your subject The Pity of War is difficult, I feel you've captured something that one has a hard time putting words to--maybe I don't mean refreshment but relief--that what has been so difficult to contemplate has found a voice. Thank you. Melissa
ReplyDeleteI really think that this is going to be Allied Arts' most moving and intense shows they've had (at least since I've lived in Cambria). I can't wait til they are all hanging.
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