THINK PEACE
In 1958 artist Gerald Holtom was commissioned by the Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament in Britain
to create a logo for a march in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research
Establishment in Aldermaston,
England. Quickly, the image was adopted by many groups
as an anti-war symbol. Widely
recognized today, this symbol, known as the peace sign, has evolved into an
icon of harmony, respect, justice, goodwill, serenity, equilibrium,
tranquility, and friendliness.
There is no hour like the present that begs for more
peaceful times. Evident as that may be, I
originally began painting peace signs to free myself from my own internal
struggles, in particular to come to terms with the death of my estranged father, who passed away in June, 2005. Painting and pondering
the path to peace, I thought of the hardships of others, young soldiers
crippled by the war in Iraq,
children left orphaned by the flood in New
Orleans, my friend’s nephew who lost four close
friends to a car accident. I thought
about the past, the horrors of the Holocaust, Vietnam, and the insanity of
slavery. How difficult it must be for victims of such senseless violence to make
peace with their past.
When we see a heart, an icon of love, our thoughts
immediately turn to those of warmth and affection. With that in mind, my project evolved into
what I call “Think Peace,” an ambition for all of us to achieve harmony,
personally and globally, by thinking about peace. Although each painting is unique, when viewed
as a whole, it is my hope that the collection have a profound impact on the viewer, leaving them with thoughts of peace. When one is thinking of peace, chances are
they will find themselves feeling more peaceful and just as a smile can
surrender another smile, so too can peace bring about peace.
Peace begins one person at a time…peace begins with you and
I…thinking….about Peace.
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