"Peace, 1960's style"* July 2011
*a watercolor drawing from memory from a real event witnessed by artist and painted many times before. In the 1960's I build a walk in structure in our backyard to raise fancy pigeons which we released at times to spread their wings, never lost one for they always came back. A friend who was appearing at a Vietnam War protest in a nearby park wanted to borrow one and release it as a symbol of love and peace. Since I was personally opposed to the war I consented. The plan was thus, after some music and some speech making, at a given signal all participants were to flash the "Peace symbol"* and at that point the pigeon was to be released. As it happened, the late afternoon sun shone on the closed window of the than senior recreation center causing to create an illusion of "freedom" for the pigeon, for he flew directly into it, breaking his neck causing instant death for all to see. The incident was totally ignored by everyone and not even recorded in the local paper. The next day the war went on as before.
*peace sign was a hand gesture supposedly invented by John Lennon in 1965; flashing it was supposed to stop the war. For those of you not familiar with it, it is done thus: palm outwards with the index and middle fingers open and all others closed.
"Peace, 1960's style"* July 2011
*a watercolor drawing from memory from a real event witnessed by artist and painted many times before. In the 1960's I build a walk in structure in our backyard to raise fancy pigeons which we released at times to spread their wings, never lost one for they always came back. A friend who was appearing at a Vietnam War protest in a nearby park wanted to borrow one and release it as a symbol of love and peace. Since I was personally opposed to the war I consented. The plan was thus, after some music and some speech making, at a given signal all participants were to flash the "Peace symbol"* and at that point the pigeon was to be released. As it happened, the late afternoon sun shone on the closed window of the than senior recreation center causing to create an illusion of "freedom" for the pigeon, for he flew directly into it, breaking his neck causing instant death for all to see. The incident was totally ignored by everyone and not even recorded in the local paper. The next day the war went on as before.
*peace sign was a hand gesture supposedly invented by John Lennon in 1965; flashing it was supposed to stop the war. For those of you not familiar with it, it is done thus: palm outwards with the index and middle fingers open and all others closed.