Gabriella Antoniello. NYC Trip

Walking down 25^th street with my boyfriend, I was taken back by our mutual interest in the arts. As we hopped out of a taxi on the corner we were in a trance brought on by all of the art around us, we wandered into a small place on the middle of the block called Slag Gallery. To be honest we were both intrigued by the name but as we entered our intrigue was washed away by awe as we gaped at all of the pieces of amazing yet unknown art around us.

As we wandered the gallery we stumbled upon a piece that had my boyfriend very interested. At first glance I was not very interested until we began discussing the possible motives of the artist Naomi Safran-Hon in

producing her piece Jerusalem.A very somber piece, Jerusalem, is an inkjet print on canvas with elements of cement in lace. The print is of cement tubes in what seems to be, given it’s title, a disheveled portion of Jerusalem. The upper portion of the piece has cement laid over parts of the print and it looks as though lace was used as an artistic rebar holding the cement in its proper place. Normally I do not care for such sad and deep pieces of art however the piece’s political relevance may not have been the artist’s sole motive.

As my boyfriend would tell you, “this piece is a simple portrait of the artist’s view of the middle eastern conflict” (Michael Fisher) I find that the piece could also be a metaphor or an interpretation of ones inner struggle or battle which could be tearing yourself apart from the inside out, just as is happening in Israel/Palestine. I personally do not care if the artist meant to invoke thoughts of inner peace, or lack there of, or simply make those gallery patrons who see her piece more aware of the situation in the middle east, because as a piece of art it is doing itself justice either way. In my opinion if any piece of art is able to raise discussion about its true meaning it is a good piece of art and should be used as an example of an artist’s true purpose, to create discussion and bring people together in an honest exchange of opinion.