Guest Artist Ione Citrin

Dear Dad © 2007 Ione Citrin

As you'll see from visting her website, guest artist Ione Citrin does not generally create overtly political art. But sometimes historic events create an urge within an artist to protest violence and war using her/his creative language.

Many of us grew up during the turmoil of the Vietnam war. Some of you even protested it. I doubt many of us ever expected that our nation would be involved in an even more questionable war so soon.

While we give thanks for all that we enjoy; family, friends, food, shelter, relative safety, we must continue to work hard to get U.S. soldiers out of Iraq. We must also squelch the right wing echo chamber as it clambers for another invasion, this time of the sovereign nation of Iran. Sadly too many Americans didn't learn the terrible lessons of the Vietnam war. Those of us who did, must work to end all war, forever.

"Dear Dad" is a mixed media piece representing the mixed emotions of the “Viet Nam” war. The Viet Nam memorial is in the background with a hand touching the many names of the war dead representing the severe pain of loss.

Dear Dad © 2007 (Detail) Ione Citrin

At the upper right hand corner notice the father receiving the horrible news that his son was killed in action.

Dear Dad © 2007 (Detail) Ione Citrin

Then there is the action of actual combat...

Dear Dad © 2007 Ione Citrin

...and at the bottom is a soldier’s dead body under our great American flag.

Dear Dad © 2007 Ione Citrin

War infuriates me. The senseless killing and torture of innocents just to gain wealth and more power for the ruling party is something which has existed throughout the history of man. It is sad that we have this as part of our DNA, that we are able to be cruel to our fellow human beings. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if there was no war. If there was no war there would be no famine, no mental illness, and all resources would be energized towards making human life better, not the brutal destruction of morality, values, ethics , and all things living on our planet earth, i.e., human, plant, animal, etc. why is this evil inherent in the human psyche?
- ione citrin

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