War Artists Attempt To Suppress Gaza Conflict

Ever since the mid 20th century, the conflict between Israel and Palestine over the Gaza territory has reached significant heights. The extremities that have taken place have only been horrifyingly unpleasant. Many people around the world see video clips and images that capture the chaos in Gaza, and the first thoughts that come to mind are undoubtedly explosions, destruction, and fatalities. When the common observer hears about the Gaza Conflict, they instantly think of:

However, many war artists in Israel and Palestine have tried to relieve tensions through the use of drawings and paintings. In the article, Artists’ Work Rises From the Destruction of the Israel-Gaza Conflict, authors Jodi Rudoren and Fares Akram describe how these war artists turn the average war scenes into artistic masterpieces. In the article, they mention war artist, Belal Khaled. Within the thick smoke caused by explosions, Khaled saw something that most people would not have seen. Rudoren and Akram tell their readers,

“First, in a black cloud staining the bright blue sky above a beach, he saw hints of a prominent nose, thick mustache and wild hair, “like an old man contemplating the situation of Gaza,” Mr. Khaled said. Then, in a friend’s photograph of a taller, thinner plume, he saw a fist with the index finger extended, a gesture Muslims make when saying, “No God but Allah.” Using Photoshop, Mr. Khaled added a few simple lines to emphasize these hidden icons, and uploaded the artwork to Facebook, where it was shared and “liked” thousands of times.”

One of Khaled’s most distinguished war pieces is:

Many children have also been severely impacted by the Gaza conflict. What parent wants their children to grow up in dangerous area where a bomb explosion could occur at any time? Artist Mr. Elmaqosui says he made artwork like this, “to change the atmosphere for my children.” He mentions that when his children would hear the explosions, he would tell them that they were just fireworks. Although his children now know what is really going on, these drawings have kept them away from the graphic truths of the society they live in for a long time.

I really think these war artists have created an effective way to relieve some tension and fear during the war. Artwork alone definitely will not stop the war from occurring, but it does a solid job in keeping victims of the war optimistic. I think these pieces of art can really change one’s perception about the war and I’m all for these paintings. Sometimes, painful experiences can really change a person’s life, so artwork like this can really serve as a driving force to eradicate painful experiences from happening.

j96lee says:

October 13, 2014 at 10:39 pm

I really liked the article you chose to blog about. I think it is a great idea to combine art with war. It creates a new, different meaning to art. Not only do these artists symbolize and portray the war, but like you said, the paintings also relieves the tension of war. It is amazing to discover the creative ways that artists incorporate art with live occurrences.

stephenesses says:

October 15, 2014 at 2:02 pm

I think it is fantastic that artists are able to take some of the emphasis off of the destruction and devastation through their art. At the same time, it is important not to shy away from those things because that may keep the war going. It is important to realize what is happening and try to stop war from happening. It is good to see that art can try to heal some of the problems in such a war-torn region, but in the end it will not stop war from happening.It is still important not to be too distraught even in times of war and to remain hopeful for better days ahead, if art can keep people positive then that would be fantastic.

Ann Privorotskiy says:

October 15, 2014 at 10:29 pm

This was a really interesting read, and the picture of the horses emerging from the smoke cloud is very impressive. I personally find it very interesting how there are people in the world who can turn something as tragic as war, into something as beautiful as art. I also agree that while obviously these pieces don’t directly alleviate the Gaza situation, they do serve as an excellent distraction tool for people, especially children. I think it takes a very positive person to be able to create art out of something as devastating as these war pictures. I admire people like that, because they’re able to see the silver lining, which is very hard in such tough situations. I’m to see that even in times of war, people are still expressing their creative abilities.

nicholasleung says:

October 19, 2014 at 11:20 pm

I agree that war art is an amazing thing for people to create/view in such a stressful time. Khaled’s work is really inspiring, especially with his focus on simplicity. It comes to show that the smallest things make huge differences. However, war art could also be detrimental. It can also be used as propaganda, such as Nazi propaganda art used during their reign in Europe or American racial slander against the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. But overall, what you say holds true: art can definitely change perspectives during a war.

michalsudo says:

October 19, 2014 at 11:23 pm

You might be right in saying that art alone will not be able to stop a war but it is also very important to note how this article is both similar and different from the trends of articles we have been seeing throughout this New York Times blog. From the very beginning we have seen articles about the changes in the media and arts. Some of the changes discussed were about art responding to the world around it, “9′ X 18′” and “Smoking Too Cool for the Big Screens?” while others were about the world responding to the art around it, “Talking Statues” and “Revival of History via Artistic Expression”. As of right now this article would fall under the latter category, in the sense that it is the portrayal of hope caused by the pain of a long and brutal war. It is also important to consider that it could end up in the other category, if these works of art in some way help dissolve the lingering storms of conflict over the Middle East and give rise to brighter, sunnier, more pleasant days.

layanahnsouli says:

October 21, 2014 at 1:08 pm

This article presents an interesting twist on the imagery of war. However, I feel that this convolution of the reality of wartime should not be widespread. Viewing death and destruction as a source of creativity/beauty is simply immoral. So while it may be seen as “relief from the tension of war,”
it merely distracts from a harsh reality.