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The Birth of Democracy

February 4th - February 15th 2008
Reception: Friday, February 8th, 2008 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM

The current exhibit of work I am showing at the Centre Gallery is a focus on the war in Iraq. The themes of patriotism, false allegations as a pretext to going to war and the eventual destruction of a country for its natural resource are all tackled with humor and vulgarity. Nothing is held back as far as my opinions are concerned. The images and installations can be viewed with the same understanding of political cartoons. Metaphors and absurdity are used to project the ideas along with a lowbrow mentality and a transgressive aesthetic. One example of this aesthetic is the main piece in the exhibit: The Birth of Democracy; an American flag gives birth to a vomit of golden soldiers and military weapons bearing the gifts of democracy while beneath the birthing mother a scrotum unleashes penis arms to overtake oil wells. Despair and anger rule these works as I a person of Iraqi and Lebanese descent try to find ways to cope with a war that seems to be an endless blight destroying the lives of millions of people and now trying to reach its way into Iran.

Biography

Mr. Bahnam was born in a foreign land. Refugeed to America where he was Anglicized. Received three college degrees, joined the Pink Sexies, moved to Florida (kicking and screaming) and wears out pants till the holes no longer can be mended. His most valued life lesson occurred in the third grade where daily harassments of being called “queer” and “girlie”, from a school yard bully, regarding Mr. Bahnam’s Howdy Doody lunch box ended when said bully got his own Howdy Doody lunch box.