2006
Lightning, Thunder, Brimstone and Fire
May 4 - June 4, 2006
Wilkinson Gallery, London, England
Excerpt from press release:
The paintings in Lightning, Thunder, Brimstone and Fire explore the romanticization and celebration of violence as described in such sources as the Book of Revelation and the American national anthem. Many of the titles of these paintings are derived from the lyrics of The Star Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Originally a poem titled The Battle of Fort McHenry, the national anthem was later set to the melody of the old British drinking song, To Anacreon in Heaven, resulting in an anthem that is at once patriotic, celebratory and somewhat disturbing. The imagery in the poem glorifies the battle with fantastic visual effects, romantic descriptions of light, and references to the sublime.
The drawings in the exhibition are from the series Revolutionary Dreams, which takes its title from a song by Reggae musician Pablo Moses, in which the Rastafarian singer recollects a dream of a romanticized revolutionary battle. Aram finds the song striking because, "it exemplifies the utter idealization of violence by someone who is not actively or directly engaged with violence." The drawings attempt to mimic the flawless craft of traditional art forms and always come short of perfection, but not without creating their own humble spectacle. Likewise, the figures depicted in the drawings often come short of achieving their revolutionary dreams.
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