We have all been deeply shocked and horrified by the Parisian attacks. I was thinking today, that after I had the chance to catch my breath in the fast paced "news" cycles as a White House Correspondent, where was the art in all this? I have a background as an artist, an award winning film director, actor, writer, camera person and I now find myself now telling stories in a different way, important stories in an immediate way, in a way that is crucially important to specific moment in times. I thought today, at the right time, after the immediacy of it all, there is always room for art. I pondered from where and when it would come. France has a deep rich history of art and culture that is unsurpassed. It was, therefore, a moment of graciousness, tranquility and thankfulness when a post caught my eye on Facebook, from film maker Rich Martini - whose use of two well known French paintings, with a simple message, put a historic perspective on this whole matter. It was, put simply. only something an artist could do; and also only something an artist could recognize. As Rich Martini so insightfully noted, "Monet and Manet. One is a military parade, the other the street behind. One shows the banners, the other the after effect, a lone legless vet making his way up the street after the pomp of war. Funny how the cycle continues." -
This was previously published at Herald de Paris with full story here at: http://www.heralddeparis.com/french-art-after-paris-rich-martini-presents-monet-and-manet/#sthash.DDnrfW27.dpuf