Artists capture the emotion of 9/11

Depictions of chaos and sorrow served as a remembrance of the day the Twin Towers fell.
Photographs, oil paintings and videos inspired from that day were on display at an art exhibit held at LaGuardia Community College. The exhibition, “Witness – A Look Back to the Future” features over 100 pieces from 15 artists affected by the events of 9/11.
Compelled by their experiences, the artists produced eclectic artistic offerings that revolve around themes such as tragedy, chaos, and the emotional and political reactions that spurred from the attacks.
“My whole reasoning is having some type of positive, social, public awareness — bringing some constructive public awareness to make people think,” said Serhat Tanyolacar.
His sculpture, “Kiss,” is a representation of two jubbahs, traditional Islamic garments, shaped into figures who are about to kiss. The piece is an homage to Rodin’s “The Kiss” and is a social commentary on the public depictions of Islam.
Tanyolacar said he wanted to highlight in his piece the anger towards Islam and the rift it has caused in America for the past 10 years.
“The sculpture is a love story, but a sad love story which never had a happy ending,” he said.
The exhibit’s curator, Kristin Jefferson, a professor at the college, wanted her students to realize the social and emotional significance of the 9/11 attacks. She realized that her students, whom were too young to vividly remember that day, didn’t have a grasp of the personal impact of the events.
“I wanted to do something to make 9/11 a reality for these students,” Jefferson said.
Other works included a montage of missing people fliers, as well as short videos of footage taken the day of the attacks. The exhibit runs until November 23 at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.
Shirley Perrier, a LaGuardia Community College alumna, attended the exhibit after deciding against heading to other commemorative events in Manhattan. Perrier recalled where she was on 9/11 and said she did not realize what had happened until she got home that evening. She was glued to her television for days afterward.
“That’s a moment that I’ll never forget,” she said.
The exhibit was a way for her to come to terms with the events of the day, to bring her some peace, she said. As she stood beside one of the paintings, she was struck by its color and emotion it evoked.
“In those paintings, where you see a lot of dark, you see a lot of red, but you also see some sliver of hope,” she said.