I opened the door.
It was Taipo, a gallery owner that I had met a few
weeks earlier.
-Taipo. Please come in, I'm sorry for being a mess, I'm in
the middle of painting.
-I can see that, he said as he walked in to
the living room, aka my ''studio''.
In the middle of my living room was where I did all
my painting so to get from the front door to
my studio was a question of a few steps.
Taipo took a few steps and then stopped in front
of my easel.
On the easel was a large canvas that I was working
on. (The above image)
-What are you working on? Taipo asked.
-Oh, I don't know really, I'm just experimenting.
-Why is there an American flag in the background? he asked.
-Well, as an immigrant myself I was thinking about
what it may have felt like for people who ran away
from a war torn Europe to America in order to hopefully
make true the ''American Dream''.
-I see, he said and then continued, can you paint
another 12 of them?
-Twelve? I asked incredulously.
-Yes, 12 paintings is what you'll need for the big space in
the gallery and to be able to have a solo exhibition.
A solo exhibition? Yes please. My first one.
-Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you, Taipo.
-Can you make them all along the same theme?
-You mean including the American flag some way
or another in every painting?
-Yes, that would be great, he answered.
-Sure, I answered confidently although I had no clue
how I was going to do that.
-Great, I'll call you and let you know dates, he said
and then left.
After much pondering I finally came up with a concept
on how I was going to it. Then I had to come up
with a title for the exhibition.
I decided to name the exhibition ''American Dreamers''.
Why ''American Dreamers''? you may ask.
There was a time ''long ago'' when America for many
people represented a country where anyone regardless of
where they were born or what ''class'' they were born into,
would still be able to attain their own version
of success. (''The American Dream'')
As an immigrant myself I get that it isn't easy to
leave your homeland, friends and relatives behind.
But here's the thing, the exhibition was
not about America per se, it was
about having a dream of a better life and risking
everything in the hope of achieving it.
As more than 15 years has passed since I held
my exhibition and America seems to be going
through one crisis after the other, perhaps the
American Dream is a concept/dream no one
no longer believes in?
Maybe the ''American Dream'' no longer
flutter in peoples hearts and minds,
but being a dreamer myself, I hope that people
still have dreams of being able to make some
of their dreams/visions/goals come true.
''The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers.
But above all, the world need dreamers who do.''
(Sarah Ben Breathnach)
I exhibited my ''American Dreamers'' in a
number of different venues and almost
every time I did I was asked: ''Why are you so
pro America? What about Vietnam, Iraq,
and all the other bad stuff they have done?''
My answer: The paintings are not about America,
the paintings are about people who dreamed of a better life
and who were willing to risk everything in the pursuit
of it.
about the images: 1. ''Father and son arriving Ellis Island''
2. JFK 3. Jimmy's first 4'th of July 4. Immigrants arriving
5. First Nation woman liberating the ''Star Spangled Banner''
All acrylic on large canvas
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