Silent Running

Silent Running Diptych, 42x66 & 42x38 inches, acrylics and pigments on cotton, 2024

Silent Running

I felt challenged or better forced some times to adopt a theme through an event, which overwhelmingly presented itself on a global scale. 9/11/2001 was such an event and I felt the same way in the aftermath of October 7th.

So I spent the past 5 months in my studio, working out what for me was the essence of this infamous day. Much like ‘The Gatherings’ in 2001/02 were about us, the speechless and stunned observers, ‘Silent Running’ is about them. Those, who got away with their lives.

'Silent Running' is about people forcefully reduced to their creatureliness. I observed the same facial expressions in photographs from various mass shootings in the US and all over the world. When there is nothing left to do, but run for one's naked life, our human qualities are of no consequence.

Eventually the threat of undiscriminating violence destroys not only the individual and their humanity, but the very fabric of a civilized society.

David Stern, NYC 05/15/2024