"Peaceful Rainbow" ACEO print on Kodak paper

 by Yonassan Gershom

This is a REPRODUCTION of one of a series of peace-oriented drawings I did in May-June 2008. All the Memorial Day stories of wars and images of fallen soldiers made me feel sad and depressed.   When will humanity learn that war is the enemy, not other human beings???   I wanted to focus my energy on peace, so I began to do a drawing per day focused on peace.  (Not sure how long this Peace project will last, it is not a vow, just my current focus.)   This piece is pretty self-explanatory.  A rainbow of peace.

This is a print from a photo I took of my original artwork.  in ACEO size (3.5 x 2.5 inches) and professinlally printed on Kodak paper -- NOT  a computer printout.   It is signed on the back by me.   

Combined shipping:  Shipping for ACEOs in the USA in $1.50 for the first one, and additional ACEOS go free.  They can also be combined with other pieces of flat art, so be sure to check out my other works in The Happy Rooster store under "Art and photo prints/originals."

More about me and my art

Somebody asked why I put these in the "Outsider Art" section instead of "Pop Art" or some such.  True, they are not as bizarre as some Outsider Art BUT there is a good reason they belong there. 

I've drawn this type of rainbow art ever since I was a child.  A teacher once asked why I drew auras around everything and I replied, "Because I see them."  WRONG ANSWER!  She called me a liar then said I was NUTS. 50 years ago, teachers got away with politically-incorrect comments like that... and psychical phenomena were simply NOT discussed openly.  Well, I do sometimes see auras.  My drawings represent the life-giving energy of God that radiates everywhere. 

My mother had a different reaction to my art.  She scolded me with "CRAZY PEOPLE draw like that!"  Apparently she had read something about schizophrenic artists using psychedylic colors (this was before LSD).   Or else the teacher told her I was "disturbed."

What does all this have to do with Outsider Art?  Well, years ago Outsider Art was originally art drawn by people in INSANE ASYLUMS!  So, if I'm "crazy" to draw this way, then I qualify, right?  Besides, these are about PEACE and everybody knows that pacifists are certifiable NUTS,  right?  When the Iraq war started and everybody was jingoistically waving their flags, "peacenik" was about as Outsider as you could get.  So take your pick -- as someone once said, you have to be a little crazy to cut the chains and be free.

(Disclaimer:  This article employs IRONY and SARCASM, an art form in itself. No offense intended to real mental patients.)