Accession Number
2015/2.151

Title
Give Peace a Chance

Artist(s)
Burhan Cahit Doğançay

Artist Nationality
Turkish (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
2009

Medium & Support
collage and mixed media on canvas

Dimensions
43 in x 62 in (109.22 cm x 157.48 cm)

Credit Line
Anonymous gift

Subject matter
Very early in his career, Doğançay embraced the urban wall as his main subject matter. His larger project, termed "Walls of the World," presents representations of cities through the collaged and ever-changing graffiti of the urban environment. Each with a different set of techniques and styles, they all seek to represent a place, while engaging in contemporary culture more broadly through the use of pop culture images and phrases. Here, for example, the portrait of the Dalai Lama is combined with that of Richard Gere, who has worked with charity campaigns in Tibet. The imagery combines with the text; words in bold stenciling read "FREE TIBET" and "LOVE PEACE."

Physical Description
This mixed media painting has a graffiti aesthetic. There are a series of portraits, one large in spray paint in the center of the work and a number of smaller ones in collaged newspaper. Throughout the composition are stenciled phrases in black and red paint as well as inscribed phrases in pen and various colored paints. There are also a number collaged pieces of newspaper. The work is signed and dated (l.r.) "B Dogancay / 2009" in yellow paint.

Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media

Primary Object Type
collage

Additional Object Classification(s)
Painting

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Tibetan Buddhism
Turkish (culture or style)
actors (performing artists)
collages (visual works)
graffiti
justice (concept)
peace