Berlin Liberty 1990

Jerome Mesnager made this painting, Berlin Liberty, at a time of immense change. I imagine he worked fast, urgently, grabbing whatever he could get his hands on, like house paint, and aerosol. There are these ghostly figures emerging from a gray background, and words, scrawled like graffiti: "Berlin," "Love," "Liberty." That central blue gash could stand for the Berlin Wall itself, being torn apart to reveal something hopeful beyond. I can almost feel the excitement, the raw energy of that moment in 1990. It makes me think about other artists working in times of upheaval, like Nancy Spero, or even Leon Golub, wrestling with political realities through their art. It's like a conversation, isn't it? Each artist responding to the world, leaving their mark, searching for ways to make sense of it all. And painting, with all its messiness, is right there for it, ready to capture the feeling.