Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 00:51.
I previously wrote on REALNEO about "Art of the Day: Houghs Angel, by Harry Bell". Since that posting, and painting, it seems Bell's patron Abe has grown his passion for this outsider artist, as there are now many new works at the pumped-up intersection at East 55th and Cedar Road, Cleveland, Ohio, featuring Abe's gas station and Bell's art.
The two most prominent new murals - which are probably 8'x8' or so - are anti-Israel.
This has grown into a real public art exhibit, not unlike the billboard paintings of Sysack on W. 25th/Pearl, on the West Side - which I previously covered on REALNEO, here and here, mentioning "one Sysack billblog was covered in the 2002 Sun Press for comparing MLK Jr. to bin Lauden, and that the billblog was set on fire, and the site of a protest led by U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones."
I wonder how many people pass Abe's a day.
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Civil Rights
This is a good discussion for US and REALNEO, especially, as we observe the civil rights movement with the commemoration for Martin Luther King.
Is this ART? Art reveals the truth, does it not?
We are living with a twisted truth in the Plain Dealer, so I guess Abe Ayad is just another media outlet. And, he has his right to FREE SPEECH and he can chose to believe what he choses to believe and depict in this "art"--that's AMERICA. And, that's what makes America and the ideals of America a challenge for all of us.
From experience, I know that Abe does not stop to consider how he treats and uses people, including Palestinians. For Abe, it's the game and money. I can say the same for a lot of the people the Plain Dealer wants to portray as our gamechangers.
Some want to label. It's easy for these people to lump every one together and decry Israel or Palestine as evil...
But, it's not the place OR the people, but HOW they see each other.
Some can see each other as brothers and sisters and not take sides, and can commit themselves to take care of each other as a community.
To me, that is the vision of Martin Luther King realized.
This is art
Bell is definitely one of the most important and interesting artists in the region and his work is important - where he works is important - what his work says and represents is important. This is real NEO at its best. That does not mean real NEO is at its best.
Disrupt IT
Chosen people
There are no CHOSEN people.
Stop the hate, we need a call to conscience.