Promised Land

On September 11 I was in the Middle East on my continuing quest to understand why, in the name of religion, one would kill another who did not share their beliefs. The evening before I had crossed the border to Israel from Jordan, where I had been photographing Petra. The collaged journal I kept during that time had been titled “Promised Land”. After the 11th the journal changed from a focus on territory to a focus on ideology and broadened it’s scope considerably.

Returning to my studio, I scanned and printed the journal pages on a wide range of materials using the Encad 880 printer, which prints 60” eight color (octachrome) on surfaces up to 1/2’ in depth including birch bark, corrugated cardboard, wood and cork. The one-of-a-kind mixed media pieces are 16” x 24” inkjet prints combined with traditional art materials which explore the possibilities, the challenges, and the problems that we now face.

Historically, art has memorialized the dead, helped to bring solace to the living, and provided hope for a more humane future. I hope this series will contribute to that tradition.