"There are holy things that are not communicated all at once:
Eleusis always holds something back to show those who come again."
-One inscription at Eleusis, Greece, site of the Demeter-Kore mysteries for 2,000 years;
quoted by Virginia Beane Rutter in Ancient Greece, Modern Psyche: Archetypes In The Making
SERIES BY DEBRA CONDREN 2016 - 2022
What we tolerate, we become.
Countless people across America — from students to grandparents, from every socioeconomic background and circumstance, from those who have never been politically active to those who have not been involved in years — realize for the first time that our young republic is not an entitlement and cannot be taken for granted.
Prayers For Democracy emerged in the wake of experiencing and witnessing the individual and collective trauma resulting from the 2016 presidential election outcome and its aftermath. The series was inspired by people from diverse backgrounds standing up, resisting, and taking action as a result of our current sociopolitical climate. These paintings reflect our understanding that we have power as citizens. That awareness, plus our resolve not to give up hope or give in to exhaustion or despair, is getting us through our current reality. And shoring us up to fight to protect our young, fragile, sacrosanct constitution and democracy.
This is not normal. And we are not alone.
Countless people across America — from students to grandparents, from every socioeconomic background and circumstance, from those who have never been politically active to those who have not been involved in years — realize for the first time that our young republic is not an entitlement and cannot be taken for granted.
Prayers For Democracy emerged in the wake of experiencing and witnessing the individual and collective trauma resulting from the 2016 presidential election outcome and its aftermath. The series was inspired by people from diverse backgrounds standing up, resisting, and taking action as a result of our current sociopolitical climate. These paintings reflect our understanding that we have power as citizens. That awareness, plus our resolve not to give up hope or give in to exhaustion or despair, is getting us through our current reality. And shoring us up to fight to protect our young, fragile, sacrosanct constitution and democracy.
This is not normal. And we are not alone.
ORIGINAL WORKS BY DEBRA CONDREN. ALL PHOTOS, PAINTINGS, AND CONTENT COPYRIGHT © 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022