Leni Fried Printmaking
Social Commentary
"The Faces of Katrina "
15" x 25"
Linoleum block print
$325
Artist's Statement - "The Faces of Katrina"
Leni Fried has a studio in Western Massachusetts in the foothills fo the Berkshires in a beautiful 150 year old barn. She graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in 1975 where she studied with Clare Romano. She also worked at The Printmaking Workshop with Bob Blackburn. Her work is in many presitigous collections including the Museum of Modern Art and The Library of Congress.
She has been a printmaker for 28 years. Her subject matter ranges from socially relevant images, as exemplified by 'The Faces of Katrina' as well as nature prints, urban landscapres, abstract and even humorous imagery.
"Making art, for me, is an aessential part of interpreting and processing the world. A beautiful day in summer can inspire a series of images of flowers. A particuluarly upsetting piece of news such as Hurricane Katrina resulted in a group of linocuts about the disaster. I never know what I will respond to and at time feel I don't have a choice. The process of making art can be uncomfortable, painful and also joyous."
About "The Faces of Katrina"
"When I first saw the photographs from Hurricaine Katrina in New Orleans, I could hardly believe my eyes. The majority of the refugees were people of color. They were the ones who didn't have cars in order to evacuate. They were stuck in the New Orleans Superdome with inadequate sanitary facilities, and no food or water, then put onto busses to Houston, Texas and left to languish there in hotel rooms an temporary shelters. For a short while, Americans were forced to see the have-nots in America and our government's inqdequate response to their citizens of color. My intent with this piece is to keep these faces visible."
For up-to-date relief efforts, go to the People's Hurricane Relief Fund Site.