Untitled Paintings
John KieltykaOil on Canvas, 60" X 60"
Some years ago, I received a grant from the City of Seattle, in exchange for which I created these three paintings. They entered the city's permanent collection, which rotates through public buildings and spaces throughout the city. I don't know the criteria used to decide what art is displayed in which space, or for how long.
A couple of years ago, however, I did receive a strange communication from the Seattle Arts Commission. They wanted to give me the option of taking the paintings back and replacing them with pieces the city would find more suitable to the current political climate (George W. Bush).
In the end, I declined to take the paintings back. To this day I don't see anything politically objective in this work, but as they say, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail...
-John Kieltyka
