"Selection - Ninth November Night" by Gottfied Helnwein.
This large demonstrative piece showcases a hundred meter long wall covered in the faces of christian, Jewish and handicapped children in Germany. Many of this artists works are consumed by the loss of innocence and the destructive power of war and men. A German artist, many of his concentrations are based on Nazi's and the abuse of children. This particular piece lines up countless children in extreme detail as if selected for some greater (or malevolent) cause.
Link to Ninth November Night Gallery ---> http://www.helnwein.com/werke/photo/tafel_2.html
The children's faces are not pleasant or easy to look upon. Their eyes tell stories of anger, loss, hate and sadness. The work parallels nicely to his other mixed media pieces showcasing children in military dress with guns and weapons. This day and age is a troubled time and the loss of youth is only but one of the plagues we bear witness too. Gottfried takes us to a very real and very dark place with each child's face. Gottfried shows us we cannot ignore the suffering of our time, and that we must face it with open clarity.
In the words of Art Director Sean Penn, "Well, the world is a haunted house, and Helnwein at times is our tour guide through it."
One the second day that Ninth November Night was on display, unknown vandals cut each and every canvas with a knife...along every child's throat.
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