What a Difference Miles Can Make

Last Fall I exhibited a novel group of paintings by New York artist Eleanor Gilpatrick. Today I'd like to share more pieces from her "In the World" series. Eleanor doesn't just read news about the war-torn Middle East, she transmutes it into juxtapositions with daily life in America. Most of the paintings show the stark differences between circumstances we're familiar with and those oppressing the Iraqi and other peoples. Sometimes, as in the case of the first image below, (In The World 5: Fire! California and Iraq) the actual experiences are the same, but the causes are vastly different (wildfire versus bombing.)

If you're in the New York City area in May please make it a point to see Eleanor's paintings in person. Details follow about her live exhibit.

The show features a group of my paintings that contrast the Iraqi war and other terrifying events with serene and beautiful scenes of American life. I hope people will connect with what is going on "In The World," the title of the show.

Eleanor Gilpatrick
MAY 2 - 31, 2008
Jadite Galleries
413 West 50th Street. Manhattan.
Opening reception Friday, May 2, 2008 from 6-8 PM.
Regular hours 12-6 PM, Tues-Sat.

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World 5: Fire! California and Iraq © 2007 Eleanor Gilpatrick

The contrast of beauty and terror continues with this painting, but now the two places share the terror, and the beauty lies in the fire itself. Based on press photos by Bruce Chambers, La Fonzo Rachel, and Slahaldeen Rasheed.

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In The World Six: Fairfield and Baghdad © 2007 Eleanor Gilpatrick

This is the sixth in the series. A placid pond behind what was once a grist mill in Fairfield, Connecticut, is contrasted with a soldier on patrol in Baghdad. The water in both places mirrors the scene. (The figure of the soldier is based on a press photo by Spencer Platt.)

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In The World Seven: Westport and Sadr City © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

This is the seventh of the In The World series. A peaceful scene on the Saugetuck River, CT, is contrasted with a portrait of an elderly woman holding a bullet that hit her bed during a raid by US and Iraqi troops. (The image of the woman is based on a press photo by Wissam al-Okaili.)

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In The World Eight: Iraq And Saratoga © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

Soldiers walking in Iraq amid the smoke of war are contrasted with Saratoga, New York, when the blossoms appear. The Iraq scene is adapted from a press photo by Misha Japandze.

(Click on image for larger view)
In The World Nine: On The Taconic and Near Baghdad © 2008 Eleanor Gilpatrick

A view off the Taconic Parkway, NY, and an Iraqi man tending sheep near Baghdad. The contrast is now the serene lands with the terror from the sky in Iraq. A US helicopter is involved in a raid on a nearby village. The Iraq scene is based on a press photo by Jacob Silberberg.

Please respect the work of the artists you see here and be sure to credit them when you share their artwork with others.

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