Facing the Millenium by Diana Berek

All copyrights for the art on this page are owned by the artist, Diana Berek.

Facing the Millenium by Diana Berek

Artist's Statement
"Facing the Millennium", Acrylic on canvas, 1994: 30" x 40"
An old woman protects three young children. She knows that there is
danger as well as promise in their future. One of the children is
afraid, one is distrustful, the third is curious and holds out a hand
to the strange figure before them. This figure represents technology
which reaches for them.

Technology is a part of our natural world (thus is personified). At
this time in history (represented by the flowing water), we are at a
juncture where technology can either be harnessed and controlled to
benefit only the powerful few, or it can become a tool to finally
liberate working people from the necessity of working for wages in
order to survive. This latter possibility is represented by the
rectangular box including an image of a dancing liberated worker in
the skull of the technology-figure.

This painting was exhibited at Excalibur at an exhibit entitled
"Artists of Rogers Park" November, 1999. In an artscope.com review,
G. Jurek Polanski said: "'Facing the Millennium' confirms that
Berek's style and compostion, direct and symbolistic, are much
attuned to contemporary graphic expression, and this, often with a
programmatic intent. Her imagery is tense, effective and, with
concentration, readable in meaning."

Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center (UM-CAC). E-mail UM-CAC at umcac@art-teez.org Ph.773/561-7676