9:02 (central panel from Three Minutes in American History) by Eric Humphries. Learn more at Paintedatrocities.com.
From the press release:
Oklahoma City based artist Eric Humphries is known for his cartoonish renditions of true life historical atrocities and in honor of the 14th anniversary of the OKC Bombing, Humphries will be unveiling a series of three paintings memorializing this tragic event entitled Three Minutes in American History.
“This is the first time I have tackled a subject so close to home,” says Humphries. “I am definitely much more anxious about this series than usual. Everyone in Oklahoma felt the bombing in one way or another.”
To prepare for the project, Humphries visited the Bombing Memorial several times and took some 200 photos of the site. He also spent weeks researching each element of the bombing, as well as the roles of the real life people involved. “ I tried to incorporate all the major parts into the composition. They are all so important to the over all experience of visiting the Memorial and I wanted the series to reflect that. It’s been an emotional experience,” admits Humphries. “But I am very glad to do my part in memorializing the victims of this horrible act.”
Each large, forty by forty eight inch, canvas is framed with its own Gate of Time, a concept central to the actual Bombing Memorial, and in turn tells it’s own story. The 9:01 canvas represents the time before the bombing and depicts the burning of the Branch Davidian Compound at Waco, Texas where McVeigh first became incensed about the federal government. The 9:02 canvas shows the actual explosion of the Ryder truck used by McVeigh in the attack. And the 9:03 canvas depicts the Field of Empty Chairs and Survivor Tree complete with ghostly spirits ascending to god‘s outstretched hands.
“Three Minutes in American History“ can be see at the aka gallery in the historic Paseo Arts District in OKC from April 3rd through May 1st. Humphries, himself, will be in attendance April 3rd for the opening. For more info please call 850-0175.
