BE KIND, FOR EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE.
- Plato
- Plato
A couple weeks ago was "War Week" in our home. Not intentionally, but we got sucked in nightly to Ken Burns's "The War" on PBS which was like the history class that I never had and helped give me some understanding of those hearty Americans I have know as grandparents. I was pretty clueless how much of a WORLD war that 2nd one was....so globally expansive.
Later in the week we went to a "Come Together" event put on by Harrell Fletcher at the Henry Art Gallery (which is where my MFA exhibit will be in May). I don't really know where to start with Fletcher, but to say that his work is a beautiful/profound take on how art should be played out here on Earth. Spend some time at his site it's worth your time. So this "Come Together" even was focused on understanding war and its impact on people especially the last 3 (Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq). Best stated here.
I also learned of Dawn Cerny at the event...can't get enough of this drawing!
Anyways...the war. I wish things were as simple as the Devendra Banhart tune I listened to today. The refrain repeats softly, "Here's what we believe / It's simple / we don't want to kill." In my mind it both is and isn't, and maybe its because human nature seems to be more like Cerny's drawing. Should a people be offensive when other people are killing humans in cold blood, should a people only be defensive when struck at home, or should a people stand erect in front of tanks and guns with empty hands and glaring eyes. It's so odd to process all of this in the comfort of a warm home in a quiet neighborhood.
