Conflictation Part 1 & 2

For many years, I have posted on Instagram, almost daily, a single color image on my feed, known as 24hr Story,  My area of interest for posting are mainly street scenes involving people and interactions within what might be defined as Los Angeles culture. 

When the news first broke on October 7, 2023 about the attack on Israel by Hamas, I, like much of the world, began following daily updates…the ensuing retaliation of the IDF towards Gaza and the Palestinian people became the center of focus of daily attention and posts for many people who use Instagram and TikTok. 

In light of the escalating violence and brutality, and the death toll began to mount, I found myself feeling that my posts based in Los Angeles were irrelevant, petty and frivolous in the context of the bigger picture.  

Suddenly, one morning I saw in my mind’s eye, the answer to my inner conflict ……people here within my culture, being set into the environment of the devastation of Gaza… a small gesture, empathetic attempt, of caring within the helplessness to actually do anything meaningful but to watch as the powers that be played out their destruction and genocide.

I gathered news photos of the bombings and destruction, then overlayed and integrated them with people here In LA that had been posted as they were originally photographed.  

When that series felt finished,  inspiration for part 2 was to combine news images of the leveled city, some including survivors, with my own images made over the years or created at the time, to carry within them spiritual energies of blessings and healing. 

~EG