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Friday, September 10, 2010

Remembering 9/11~Twin Towers


I will continue to post my original thread about the silk painting I created as a memorial to those whose lives were lost on American soil on the infamous date of September 11, 2001.


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Several weeks after the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001, I saw a photo of the two towers in Time magazine.The one tower had been hit, and black smoke billowed into that beautiful sapphire blue sky. The second tower in the photo showed another plane heading towards the upper part of that tower. In the front of the towers is a bridge, other buildings, and a river.I stared , and studied that photo for half the day. I guess I was still mezmerized, and stunned thinking of the horror of that day.I can't say exactly why, but I wanted to capture that scene in a silk painting. Maybe it was to pay tribute to something that I felt totally helpless about. Perhaps, it was a cathartic form of therapy.


As I painted that horrific scene, I said a prayer for all the victims and their families.After I finished the painting, I wrapped it in black plastic and laid it in the back of my dark closet.

In the summer of 2002, I had an art show and was gathering up my paintings to take with me. I called an artist friend and asked her if she thought I should bring "The Twin Towers"?


"Sure," she replied, " you're an artist and have licence to capture anything you desire into a painting."So, I brought it along and set it up under my canopy.Many people who saw it, stepped back from my tent, whispering, " Do you see that painting?" Whisper, whisper.I finally re-wrapped it in plastic and put it in a corner of the tent.In 2004, I decided to place it on eBay, see who would be interested in owning it. Actually, I was hoping word would get out to a museum, and they might be interested in having it in their collection of historic memorabilia.But, that wasn't the case. I received such negative comments from eBayers. Who did I think I was to paint that picture? Didn't I care about the people that had died? And, on and on. I finally removed it from eBay.

I couldn't help but wonder if the painters during the Civil War who captured the violent death scenes of that war, on a painting, or paper, were critizied?What about all the other wars of humanity that have been captured on canvas, were their creators chastized?I don't know, and still feel confused.

What do you think? Do you think an artist is wrong for painting the horrific acts of violence against humanity in a painting or drawing?


I also wrote a poem trying to express my emotions of that day:


In The Name Of Allah


A Poem Inspired By The TWIN TOWERS Silk Painting


IN THE NAME OF ALLAH


A confrontation of shadow selves,


Ethereal you, invisible I,


Who try


To Taste the tears of God,


Or run our fingers across


Her smiling lips.


Yet failing, we sink beneath



And hide behind


The brutal waves of ego.


Egos that wear layers of frightening masks,


Called greed, superiority, hate, and power.


We dress in different cuts and colors of cloth.


Demanding our own way,


We raise hands holding guns,


Or fly planes that bomb


Already ruined lands


Into more rubble...


Each grain of sand runs red


With our own blood.


It's all an illusion of Monopoly:


Whoever gets the big blues,


Park Place and Boardwalk, wins.


By: Klaire aka Mystic Silks

8 comments:

  1. I don't think this would be a good painting for a tent show. Those are all about feel good fun days and art. You should enter it into a gallery showing. I remember my art teacher telling me that "artists get famous not only from people loving their work but also from the hating of it". I suspect that your painting provoked deep seated feelings in those that whispered
    ..horror..shame..saddness..grief..how can I enjoy this painting that depicts what killed so many? Your viewers were put off guard..they don't know that is what great art is about. Enter it in a show!

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  2. That painting is moving, thought provoking. I remember watching the towers fall that day on TV replayed over and over again. They looked like flowers opening and dieing. Sometimes we have something in our heads and just have to get it out. I think that painting is way of dealing with the grief we all felt that day. Thank you for the tribute to all who died.

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  3. I do not believe art can be wrong. Painted from the heart, reflections of great joy and great sorrow carry the most energy of the artist. It allows us to experience, if only as a glimpse from the outside, an individuals response to the life we all experience. Commemorating the loss of life and the senseless terror humanity is capable of keeps us aware of our own mortality. We ought to never forget that fateful day when the terror of this age, so present overseas and displayed in our media, came to our land. We are one people, perhaps one day we will realize this on a global scale, reach out, and respect our differences. Please, keep painting from your heart.

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  4. Your painting is a wonderful and moving tribute. Well done!
    To us, that horrible murderous act is senseless, but those who did it believe that their's is the one, true faith and all the rest are infidels to be conquered. It's been like that for centuries.

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  5. Isn't art supposed to come from the heart and evoke feelings in viewers? This one does.
    It's a powerful painting that will upset some people. I agree with the first comment, probably an art fair is not the best venue for so strong a painting. I wonder how best to interest a museum?

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  6. Your painting is truly a masterpiece! Art is supposed to make you stop and think. This came from your heart and reflected your feelings and emotions. How could that be wrong!

    Many people capitalized on September 11. That was not your intention. It was to share your art with someone who would treasure it.

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  7. I am late in reading this post but I was glued to it the whole time, Klaire.

    I think people are going to react however they are going to react but it should not change who you are. Paint whatever you feel you want to paint because you know your feelings and reasons for doing it and it was never to hurt anyone.

    I love your poem too. It is very true in today's society.

    Without the courage of the early artists we may never have known who we really are and what we've come from.

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