the peacemaker

about the painting

the peacmaker

it was about 2003 i think

on a warm sunday morning i wanted to set up my display of art work in front of the closed linen store on baldwin st.

the sidewalk was filthy. just sandy dirt, and a lot of cigarette butts. i quickly ran across the street to zimmerman's discount store to buy a broom. i got the corn broom with a wood handle. while sweeping the sidewalk i thought about men's work. out doors a man with a broom was ordinary. yet in many kitchens still the sweeping is done by a woman. i had been part of the brother peace movement and i had learned that women's safety, and women's rights.  equity! are issues that men could change, because men held the power.  i began painting the image of a man holding a broom to impress that men could pick up the work of cleaning up the wreckage they create in the world. men could change! men could work for equity, justice, and peace.  peace may be the natural state of things, but in civilization, peace needs to be made. the beginning of making peace may be an action to clean-up men's behavior.

so for my work 
the peacemaker shows up to say, 
"men need do the work of making peace".