Today, May 1st 2006, is the 3rd anniversary of President Bush's speech declaring the end of major
combat operations in Iraq from the deck of the USS Abraham
Lincoln, and beneath a banner stating "Mission Accomplished".
A celebration in art of this
anniversary is perhaps well-met by showcasing Max Emadi's
multi-media piece of the President sleeping soundly in his
bed.
Max is fascinated by the power exercised over
the masses by both political figures and celebrities. His many
works in his two concurrent series of paintings "Hero
Worship" and "Terrorists
and Freedom Fighters" represent those who are powerful, be it by
virtue of their political positions or by virtue of their celebrity
status in the cultures in which they prevail. Recurring political
themes in these artworks depict how history repeats itself, as
for example in his painting of Osama
bin Laden as Napoleon, and the pretense of power, as in George
Bush striking John F. Kennedy's pose after Aaron
Shikler's famous portrait of Kennedy.
Our fascination with celebrity is portrayed
by Emadi in paintings of
subjects that range from actor
Bruce
Willis who is pilloried by Emadi for stating he wished he could
join the marines and fight in Iraq, to Oprah
Winfrey, who continues to reign supreme over day-time TV,
pulling in both ratings and bucks.
All the while, one wonders at the fact that many of the paintings
could just as easily have been included either category: "Heroes and
Celebrities" or "Terrorists and Freedom Fighters". Such is the
nature of power and celebrity and what Max Emadi appears to be
saying with these paintings.
Cindy Sheehan's post on the 3rd
anniversary of the end of major combat operations |
