May 3rd - Global Art Action For Peace
On May 3rd, 2003, The Works on Shirts Project invites you to take part in "WEARNICA", an international exhibition of artistic reactions to war. On the day of the event, participants in over 30 cities in 8 countries around the world (with more locations added daily!) will form walking art galleries, wearing original works they've created on the backs of white dress shirts into museums and monuments, parks and shopping malls to help raise public awareness of the realities of war in our time.
On February 5th, Colin Powell stood before the U. N. to make his case for a new resolution authorizing the U.S. to take military action against Iraq. Notably absent was Picasso's "Guernica", perhaps one of the the twentieth century's greatest, most unsettling artistic images depicting the brutal, self-destructive nature of war. Under pressure from the U.S. Government, The tapestry was covered prior to the Secretary of State's speech out of concern that the painting's message might speak to historical parallels that the Bush administration and UN officials were clearly determined that the media or the public should not make.
In response, the Works on Shirts Project (http://www.worksonshirts.org) has initiated this historic event to give people in the U.S. and around the world an opportunity to follow Picasso's example by publicly expressing their own personal reactions to the war in Iraq and continuing conflicts throughout the world.
Here's what YOU can do:
By staging an event in your area, making a financial contribution or just spreading the word, you can help send a message to the Bush administration, the U.N. and the world that the power of art to reveal the horrors of war and the promise of peace cannot be covered up.
The Idea is Simple:
By creating original war-inspired artwork that can be worn as clothing, it's possible to stage an art exhibition in any location open to the public. As long as the participants conform to the standard behavior for the general public in the space, the white dress shirts will visually tie the pieces together, and the images will speak for themselves.
Toronto Star art critic Peter Goddard wrote of the Guernica coverup: "If there is a war with Iraq, there's already been the first casualty — art." We can change that. Where one image has been silenced, a thousand may drown out the drums of war forever.
Those interested in learning more about this event and how they can participate should visit: http://www.worksonshirts.org or contact info@worksonshirts.org
The "Guernica" Myth
You may have heard the story about how Colin Powell forced the U.N. to cover Picasso's "Guernica" while he made the case for war in Iraq. It isn't true.
by Claudia Winkler
Read the article for the truth.
Secondhand hearsay from unnamed sources. Sloppy, very sloppy.
You might have a better chance at being taken seriously if you didn't spout nonsense like the statement above that are easily shown to be false.
1) recognize the Guernica painting (even if they saw the whole thing unobstructed);
2) Know what historical event the painting is about;
3) or have the vaguest understanding about the symbolism inherent in the work.
I WISH that this weren't the case, but unfortunately in our McDonald's, Soap Opera, Must See TV culture, most people probably think Guernica is a either a country or a new flavor from Baskin Robbins.
First off, I'd like to say that after reading several articles regarding the incident at the UN, it is my belief that what I wrote in the posting is true. That said, I must confess that this is my own interpretation of the events, and that, were I a journalist, I would probably have better qualified the statement to indicate as much, and have made revisions to the website (http://www.worksonshirts.org) that reflect this. Links to some of the articles that led me to this conclusion are available on the site http://www.worksonshirts.org/links.htm and I leave it to the reader to judge for themselves the veracity of these sources.
Regrettably, the controversy over this incident has overshadowed (at least in the eyes of those participating in this thread) the event the posting was intended to promote. While the controversial events of February 5th served to bring Picasso's painting into the public eye, it was the painting and not the incident that was the inspiration for this event, and it is the painting that I hope those who participate in this event will draw on for inspiration in their work.
If there are those out there who support or oppose the idea of event itself, namely an international display of artistic reactions to war, I would be interested in hearing your views.
I have no doubt that by posting this, I am only opening myself up to further criticism, which I suppose is to be expected, but as I am interested in your feedback, good or bad, I am compelled to post it.
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