Artists:  Michael Arcega, Sandow Birk, Bin Danh, Christoph Draeger, Mark Klett, Hung Liu and Trevor Paglen

Our January/February art exhibition, The Landscape of War, features seven artists whose artwork visually resonate with writer and activist Rebecca Solnit's commentary on war.  These artists employ installation, drawing, painting, video, photography, and photo-based media to create imagery, both haunting and confrontational. The artwork elicits a visceral response from the viewer and may bring forth feelings of rage or helplessness.  We live in a time of cognitive dissonance, a time when one's actions are not in alignment with one's intellect.  These artists cut through the distractions of a fear-based society to create artwork that illuminates or searches for the truth.  The vehicle for the artist may be irony or satirical commentary, a use of confrontational imagery, or historical precedents, but the intent is to challenge the viewer to respond from a deeper awareness in a time of war.  

Solnit states, "Wars are usually seen as actions rather than as transformations of the very terrain in which we act. With the current war, however, not only has Iraq become a bizarre landscape of terror, security, and ruin, but the "War on Terror," Homeland Security and the war budget have transformed the landscape of the United States in many ways. How does fear shape how people move through the world or limit their circulation? How does secrecy hide government acts and sites from citizens? What acts of defiance reclaim public space and public life?"

The exhibition is curated by Anne Birle Veh and made possible by the generous contributions of Rebecca Solnit, writer and activist living in San Francisco. Rebecca will moderate a panel discussion on the topic on Sunday, January 21st from 4:00pm - 6:00 pm.  The Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito held the first panel discussion, entitled The Landscape of War: Transformation of the Familiar in August 2006. This second panel discussion will expand on the ideas developed at the Headlands event.


Painting shown  
Sandow Birk
The Liberation of Baghdad, 2006
oil on canvas
60" x 92"
Courtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery,SF