Here is my entry for an upcoming member's challenge exhibit at GOArt in Batavia. The theme is "Summer of Love".
This theme brought up all kinds of cool ideas in my mind; but since this 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love is also the anniversary of The Beatles' 'Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' album, I immediately knew the Fab Four had to be the focus of this one. I'm just amazed at all the images and ideas and feelings that the Sixties (and early Seventies) have conjured up in my brain! So I think that I will soon be doing a few more poster-paintings of my associations of that time period. I was eleven in 1967, and though it was a crazy and tumultuous time for our nation and the world, the spirit of the sixties seems extremely relevant for what is going on in our world right now!
Many people engaged in some radical and destructive behaviors in that time. But the spiritual and ideological revolution of the Sixties, especially the questioning of the status quo, racism, sexism, greed and the growing materialism of our culture, are things that have become so much more extreme today. In this time of corporate control and institutionalized fear and division, I believe that the spirit of love, peace and inclusion of the Sixties has NEVER been more important than it is right NOW. Challenging the military-industrial complex that controls every aspect of our lives and looking at more sustainable lifestyles and technologies is vital to our children's very survival!
We have so many choices facing humanity's future, and maybe the most important of those choices is to embrace love over hate; to come together as a Human Race and face our challenges rationally and coherently, not with fear and more hatred.
OK, before I rant on any further, I will leave you with a few pictures of the progression of the above painting. I need to practice doing this for the library mural I'll be starting in just a few weeks.
The Summer of Love Show opens Thursday, May 18th in Batavia. Check out the Link.
Happy Spring!
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