Iraq War Stations of the Cross to Go on View in L.A.

On January 7th, The Avenue 50 Studio in Los Angeles will open an art exhibition focusing on questions of religion and politics. The show features artists Sergio Hernandez, Poli Marichal, John Paul Thornton, Mark Vallen and Gwyneth Leech, whose controversial Stations of the Cross paintings for a Connecticut church have created an heated debate over her mixing of Christianity and politics.

Los Angeles (PRWEB) December 20, 2006 -- Gwyneth Leech, the painter of controversial stations of the cross set in the midst of the Iraq war, will be exhibiting in Don't Talk About Religion or Politics, a group show at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Running from January 7th to February 6th, 2006, the exhibit will present artworks with controversial spiritual and political themes. Artists Mark Vallen, Poli Marichal, Sergio Hernandez and John Paul Thornton will also be offering their painterly visions.

Someone famous once said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions." Those words certainly ring true in our own time, as countless individuals turn towards spiritualism for answers to life’s great mysteries - their faith sheltering them from a pitilessly indifferent world. Yet at the same time societies everywhere are also being fractured by religious zealotry, bigotry and persecution - with religion itself seemingly a driving force behind war. The exhibition, Don’t Talk About Religion or Politics, attempts a meaningful exploration of these contradictions and their political ramifications.

Don’t Talk About Religion or Politics is also an age-old American axiom, an adage the participating artists of this exhibit clearly intend to ignore as they carefully examine the blurring between the sacred and profane. To celebrate the importance of spirituality in our lives and collective consciousness, the participating artists of this exhibition have come together to offer genuine visions of piety and devotion. But they are also unafraid to offer honest critiques of religion’s darker side. It is to this duality of purpose that we dedicate the exhibition, Don’t Talk About Religion or Politics.

The Artist's Reception takes place on Saturday, January 7th, from 7 - 9 pm. An artists forum will be held on Thursday, January 12th, from 7 - to 9 pm.

Avenue 50 Studio is located at 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, Los Angeles, 90042.

About Gwyneth Leech's Stations of the Cross

New York Artist, Gwyneth Leech was commissioned in 2004 by Saint Paul's on the Green, an Epsicopal Church in Norwalk, Connecticut to paint stations of the cross that blend traditional Christian iconography with contemporary elements. She found a vivid way of depicting Christ's journey to the cross for modern viewers, by incorporating the suffering and grief of people around the world who are caught in the midst of armed conflict, especially the war in Iraq. Unveiled earlier this year, the paintings are now on permanent view in the church at 60 East Avenue, East Norwalk, CT 06851.

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