Unkindness of Ravens

Artist Ramsey Arnaoot

September 11-30 @ Make a Point

I’ve watched the ravens,

the birds of prey, peck at their pleasure,

as hard men harvest hatred on the field.

–Thorarin the Black, Eyrbyggja saga

“Unkindness of Ravens” is a series of paintings in watercolor inspired by the artist’s recent trip to the Westfjords and the south of Iceland. The paintings depict atmospheric moments just after extreme violence in the Eyrbyggja saga, one of the founding sagas of Iceland – moments of rest, of reflection, or often of flight. As the saga unfolds, seemingly incidental quarrels between the early settlers develop into long-term blood feuds spanning generations, and spawning cycles of violence without conclusion. While confrontation itself floods the body with adrenaline, its aftermath leaves sick stomachs; the feeling of vertigo on ascending the Pantelimon Art Tower provides a complementary accompaniment to the work.

The strong winds in the higher altitude of the tower, above the surrounding buildings, are analogous to the prevailing winds and protean weather of Iceland, a young island of volcanic rock, and few trees.

The exhibition opened on September 11th in the Pantelimon Art Tower of the Make a Point gallery in Bucharest, Romania, and was open until September 30.

Ramsey Arnaoot (b. 1980) is an American-born artist of Syrian-Texan descent residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He paints primarily in watercolor, currently focusing on naïve depictions of light. Previous shows include video work in “Given Enough Eyeballs” at Esther M Klein Gallery, and sculpture and paintings in “Let the Dawn Only Come” at the Philadelphia Institute for Advanced Study. In the winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, he continues to study in the atelier of Patricio Larrambebere, Buenos Aires.