BAD DREAMS – Artist’s Statement
I developed this series of surrealistic drawings, paintings and animations over the course of 40 years. I consider these works my most vivid day dreams, nightmares, and fevered visions. The works reflect the yearnings of my over-passionate soul: my fears for myself and my children, my neighbors and strangers, and all of the anxieties I have for this country I was born in and call home. Over the last 40 years, I have exhibited these hoarded artworks in various art competitions and galleries across the nation, but particularly in the state of Florida where I was born and lived until my 20’s.
I produced numerous artworks during this early part of my artistic career that were influenced by fervent Zionism and Evangelical Southern Christian culture. Many of these artworks are informed by an apocalyptic narrative, which I was exposed to during my involvement with the evangelical churches of the deep south. A number of works were inspired by a desire for human connection, and infused with Judeo-Christian spirituality. Some are about the culture shock of being a young, innocent transplant to New York City. Moving to New York City 30 years ago, surrounded by the AIDS epidemic, raising two kids in a struggling marriage, living through an Anthrax scare and the attack on the World Trade Center (9.11), inspired a number of claustrophobic artworks.
Several of these works take the form of animations that I produced after creating the original paintings. “9.11: The TV Series” was created after the attack on the World Trade Center. “Commander Bush and the Last Crusade” was accepted into a MoveOn.org political media project against President Bush, juried by Michael Moore. “The Class of ’72” stands out as a published OpEd drawing for The New York Times. “The Couple on the Side of the Road” was published by the Miami Herald’s Tropic Magazine in 1984 after a true encounter with hitchhikers. “More to Come”, drawn in 1988, became one of the flagship artworks of the collection, with 5000 prints distributed on the first Earth Day in New York City, and inclusion in several notable exhibitions, most recently 2017.
While a decent number of these works are in private collections, many of these artworks are still in my possession and available for sale.
Contact me with inquiries.
“More to Come” is up for auction on May 29th at
ART SYNERGY AIDS AUCTION
in conjunction with Hindman Auctions
to the benefit of the Artists of Palm Beach County.
Please contact me to participate in this auction.
PS. I continue to add to this collective exhibition older works that were left unfinished, because I felt the works were getting too dark. But I now feel those works need to be finalized and made public. Send me your email if you wish to be notified when new works are published.
Jeffrey Wiener
The Sacrifice of Isaac (Animation)
In an era when fierce tribalism is growing on all sides, and the friction between the three monotheistic religions is increasing the chances of a global military conflict, I have to ask publicly: What is our personal responsibility towards this threat against us? Should we prepare to sacrifice our sons as our Tribes go to battle? I cannot answer these questions for anyone but myself, and I do believe we must all ask this of ourselves at this time. Our enemy has already done so, (and answered the Call to Jihad.)
TV Series: 9/11 (Animation)
This video was originally created in response to the attack on the World Trade Center on 9.11, and how the media’s handling of this issue has affected our culture in the aftermath. I used over a hundred still images taken from advertising and popular television shows to create a small-screen portrait of our culture as a steady stream of familiar, iconic images. The use of this terrorist attack by both the government and the media as a way to manipulate public opinion is the main focus of the work. (Produced using Adobe Flash.)
Commander Bush and the Last Crusade (Animation)
This video was created as a submission to a public contest – a great experiment in political activism within the creative community. Lot’s of design firms, professional and amateur videographers, and a few animators, were involved in this national competition founded by MoveOn.org. Entitled BUSH in 30 Seconds. This animation also takes its thematic cue from the popularization of “End of Times” fantasies being entertained widely within the Christian community. They’ve even got comic books about the Apocalypse for Christian teenagers now. Their uncritical embrace of this president needs to be examined from theological grounds and quickly, before he drags us ALL into a religious war against the entire people of Islam. Is this how Jesus would handle things? It’s about time Christians ask themselves this question. (You’ve got until November.)
