Middle East Peace

In addition to my Jewish cultural and family ties to Israel, the phenomenon of televised aggression continues to disturb yet fascinate. When Middle East tensions are high, like many people around the world, I am riveted to the news, which I even watch in my studio. My personal connections, sympathy, and fascination catalyzed this series of paintings.

The first two were still lifes. War is messy, while still lifes are an artistic attempt to bring order to the world. No longer satisfied to paint objects alone, I painted myself in the process of painting them, using mirrors to reveal what is hidden. The situation in the Middle East is like a tunnel of mirrors: just as you think you have a grasp on it, you turn and realize nothing is what it appears to be.

Objects and clothing from around the Middle East sit together in these works in an atmosphere of balance and harmony. There is still turmoil in that corner of the world, but at least Arabic and Israeli objects can peacefully coexist on my canvases, with a little “American intervention.”