Both of my paintings in this exhibition, focus on the significance of a place more than the creation of accurate representations based on detailed observation. 

Knight in the Snow was one of the first paintings I made during my two-year residency in Prague (Czech Republic) and emphasizes the personal significance of arriving in Prague.  It was a place of much physical beauty and a long and complex history.  Yet, living there,  presented many personal challenges.  Hence, the quixotic knight burdened with his modern baggage (both literal and metaphoric) seemed an appropriate representation of my circumstance in remarkable place.

 The 20th Century:  A Political Summary was one of the last paintings I began while in Europe.  It was also the least comfortable, since it was concerned with the social significance of places representative of one of the darkest chapters of human history:  the concentration camps.  I had recently visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and the place has haunted me since.  But, I have also long been impressed by the power of non-violent movements of the 20th century, especially, the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr., and found myself trying to reconcile the stark horror and injustice of the camps with the inspiring achievements of people like King.  I depicted King writing since I felt his abilities as a speaker (and writer) were essential to his success.  I hope contemplation of the tension between (and even discomfort with) such contrasting aspects of human nature can be instructive.

 Bruce Linn                                 Louisville, KY, July 2005