January 25, 2010
An Artist’s take on War
AURORA – Since ‘9/11’ and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 under the pretext of ‘weapons of mass-destruction,’ the American public have been deluged with conflicting, confusing and often contradictory information through the media. More than any other war in history this war has been brought in detail into the lives and homes of ordinary people. Combined with increasingly invasive and penetrative efforts by terrorists the battle affects individuals on a daily basis with effects on personal freedom and security.
AMERAQ: The Art of War in Every Day Life is an exhibition of works by David Drew which examines the Iraq war, terrorism and counter intelligence from this perspective. His approach is a personal record and reflection on media reports, television, radio and newspapers that questions the price of patriotism in a war waged by politicians for dubious purposes and based on unstable foundations. For Drew, war is no longer the distant thunder of troops in a far away exotic location but a twisting and turning series of tragedies and catastrophic events in the domestic environment. With graphic art, drawings, watercolors, mixed media and installation work Drew brings to light the dark side of war channeled into the language of myth. “There is a saturation point where we can neither turn off nor beg ignorance of terrible occurrences,” he says. “We must find a way of absorbing the events taking place and convert them into our own forms of understanding… we begin to create our own myths, not as fantastic inventions for marveling but as a process of healing and equitable recollection.”
About the Artist
David Drew was born and raised in Northumberland, North-East England. He graduated top of his class in 1989 with a degree in graphic art and design from Plymouth University in Devon. He later worked as a freelance illustrator in London specializing in political art for major magazine publishers. Drew has had an on-going interest in the political affairs of the Middle East which began with his degree dissertation on the Graphic Art of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. His work has been exhibited in London at The Royal Overseas League, The Edge and The Collective Galleries, and at The Hatton and Northumbria University Galleries in Newcastle upon Tyne. His artwork has been published by The BBC, Time Out Magazine, The Big Issue, Resurgence and recently Ceasefire magazine. David Drew is currently employed by the Department of Human Services at the Colorado State Veterans Home in Aurora.
AMERAQ: The Art of War in Every Day Life, opens Friday, February 12, with a public reception from 5 – 8 pm, at East End Applied Arts, 1556 Florence Street in Aurora and continues through March 27th. The opening reception is free and open to the public and is part of the Second Friday events in the East End Arts District in Aurora. East End Applied Arts is open Thursday through Saturday noon-5.30 pm and by appointment. You can reach the gallery at 720.203.3575 and info@eastendarts.com or by visiting the website, www.eastendarts.com.