Peace, War and Conflict

Paintings reflecting Doug's concerns about peace, war, suffering

and the power of Tyrants to destroy life and everything

You have to be very insensitive now days not to be affected by the Muslim holy war against the West.  There has always been injustice in the world and there have always been tyrants and megalomaniacs.  Probably we have fewer now that we have ever had but instant communication on an unprecedented scale, makes it seem that the world is a worse place than ever.

I don't agree that it is a worse place.  There is a great deal of caring and concern in the world  about our condition.  We are not doing enough, not nearly enough to improve the world.  There is still too much destruction, killing, death,  war and tyranny.  Tyrants  blackmail their peoples   and fill them with fear of the unknown, stealing freedom from them and robbing them of their freedoms.

Making peace is harder than declaring war.  It is only when there has been sufficient destruction and despair that the prospect of peace looks attractive.  So they embrace peace,  not for peace sake but to foresake war and what follows? 

Prosperity happiness, tolerance, understanding and forgiveness evolve and everybody forgets about the horror of war until next time.

The paintings

2.32....Angels Die Where Fools Fear Not to Kill                          24-11-1997

H48in  W63in   £4000    $5600   Self Framed

Kenya during the reign of Daniel Arap Moi:  The Priest, Timothy Njoya, appalled at the carnage about him, when people who were trying to express their disaffection with the regime were being beaten insensible or shot down like vermin, stood between them and the riot police. So they beat him up to the point when he feared for his life (he survived).

2.46........ go to "Who - Me?" 3D Painting                         1-11-99

H38in  W48in   £500

This is a 3D painting.  The pink area is a background wall.  Is it a painting or a sculpture??  I hang it on  my wall so it is a painting.

You could also call it "The destructive Force of Pollution" or if the mood grabs you  "One Good Stands Firm Against All the Power of Evil"  Or as some less perceptive people have said: "It looks like a few bits of wood stuck on a board and messed up with paint"

I like the title "Who - Me?":  it encapsulates naivety, defiance, humour and courage.

2.51...   Palestinian Stone Thrower                   29-12-99

H60in  W60in   £5000   $7000   Self Framed

Israel is never out of the news. The religious conflict between the Muslims and Jews seems to be insoluble. Land in Israel is scarce. Fanatical elements amongst the Jews seem oblivious to the fear and despair of the Palestinians. They grab more and more land and claim that it is their birthright. Acts done in the name of religion and of God are both indefensible and unassailable.

2.57...  Help! -    3D painting                  1-3-2000

H48in  W36in  D14   £500

2.98...  "September 11-2001"       SOLD

W37.5in X H25.75in    Price £250

437...  The Lonely Death of a Wellington Boot   Price £1500

H36in (max) x W54in (max) (91.5cm x 137cm)   3D painting using Acrylic paint, sacking, paper, rubber, metal, sawdust, polystyrene, soil & wood on plywood  29-06-04

468...  Touching (Doug & Granddaughter Charlotte)  Price guide  £200 gone

Donated to The Rainbow Trust for a celebrity auction in Feb 05

H14in x W18in (35.5cm x 46cm)  Acrylic on Canvas   10-1-05

H24in x W48in (61cm x 122cm)  Acrylic, Polystyrene, Modroc on Plywood

H30in x W48in (76cm x 122cm)   Acrylic, Polystyrene, Modroc on Plywood

H24in x W122in  (61cm x 122cm) Acrylic, Polystyrene, Modroc on Plywood

H48in x W60in (122cm x 152cm)   Mixed media: Acrylic, ModRoc, Wood, Metal, Plastic,  Pva., Fibre optics, etc

Text used in the painting  (Click)

The painting is of a notional devastated bomb site.   The text considers the effects of peace and war.  The fibre optic lights are symbolic of peace spreading across the landscape