Press:

June 13th- Oded and I will give interviews with Reuters Television and Agence France-Presse!

June 9th-- The BBC Interview by Dumeetha Luthra was published!

June 2nd-- NPR's All Things Considered ran the interview that Simon and I did with Margot Adler!

May 28th-- We've just finished a radio/online interview with the BBC's Dumeetha Luthra- stay tuned!

May 28th-- Connecticut Cable News interviewed Oded and me for an upcoming piece.

May 24th-- ABC News Now conducted an interview with Oded and me about the openign of the exhibiiton!

May 22nd-- The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric featured the exhibition of Iraqi art.

May 22nd-- Haaretz, an Israeili publication, will soon publish a story by Haim Handwerker.

May 19th-- Simon Samoeil, Mohammed al Hamadany and I have finished a teleconference/interview with NPR's Margot Adler!

May 17th-- My neighbors in CT can read an article in the Hartford Courant by Adrian Brune this Thursday!

May 12h-- New York Magazine just published a feature article on the upcoming Iraqi art exhibition! Many thanks to the article's writer, Jake Halpern and Yale University's Near-East Curator, Simon Samoeil for sharing this story!

May 9th-- Aishti Magazine (Beirut) is publishing a story by Leslie Jirsa

January 7th, 2008-- The Iraqi newpaper, Tareek al Shaab, rpublished an interview with Mohammed al Hamadany about a recent exhibition of Iraqi Plastic Artists.

August 26th, 2007-- The Iraqi newpaper, Tareek al Shaab, reported on the Night of Fire series (p. 16).

August 12th, 2007-- The Iraqi newspaper, al Sabah (The Morning), published an article about Mohammed al Hamadany's paintings (issue # 1181).

Events:

Iraqi Art Exhibition:

On exhibit now through June 21st at the Pomegranate Gallery, New York (Also on view: Contemporary Iraqi art form the gallery collection). 133 Greene Street, New York

Book Signings & Discussion forums for Oil on Landscape:

June 14th @ Yale University Bookstore (Barnes & Noble), New Haven, CT

Care Packages:

I'm assembling a care pacakage of paints and brushes to send my Iraqi friends. If you would like to contribute, please send your contribution (money/paints/brushes) by paypal to christopher@praxis-unitas.com or by post office to PO Box 209168 New Haven, CT 06520-9168

Books for Volunteers:

I will donate a box of thirty books on Iraqi art to universities and volunteers who contact me. I ask in return that the recipients pay for the shipping ($13 domestically, $38 internationally), distribute the books and take up a collection of paints, brushes and money to send to the artists who remain in Baghdad. The suggested donation in this is $10 or equivalent in art supplies.

Event Requests:

Please contact me if you would like to host a book signing and speaking engagement!

Commentary:

"Good work, Christopher. Thanks... ...and congratulations to you. I'm sure you'll credit your time on the Energy Fusion Cell for some of your support for collaboration, unity of effort, creativity, and adaptability! Again, good work -- and good luck -- GEN Dave Petraeus"

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"The idea of Pxaxis Unitas is the antithesis of the Axis of Evil mentality."

-Anni Shamim, Pakistani-American and creative writer

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Excerpt from Baghdad Art Rescue by Jake Halpern, New York Magazine, 19 May, 2008:

"[Brownfield's] smuggling technique was remarkably straightforward: the U.S. Armed Forces’ postal system. At one point, clerks got wind of what he was doing and tried to stop him, suspicious that he might be looting. Brownfield said that he owned the paintings (untrue; he was just acting as a middleman), and when they became insistent, he pulled rank. “I said, ‘Look, I am not going to argue with you—this is my property.’ And they didn’t challenge me, partly because I was a much more senior officer."

Anonymous reader comment:

"Pfft... Typical officer. Can't be bothered to follow the rules because it's inconvenient so he bullies a couple of enlisted to get his way. Oh, sure, you can make the argument that it was "for a good cause", but that makes him no better than those POS ring knockers in the Pentagon that lied 24/7 selling the Iraqi war, hiding the gross incompetence and misappropriations of contractors and administrators, and misleading congress and the American people. They felt they were selling out their oaths and America for a good cause too, and they are the reason that these talented artists can't put food on the table, or live without fear."

-SHIPWACK

Dear Mr. Shipwack,

Thank you for your comments. I must admit that you are right about some of your criticism. I am not proud to say that I lied on customs forms to bring this art to the USA. Still, there is a difference between the accountability that our administration has to the American people and my personal accountability to my Iraqi friends in this personal mission. As you undoubtedly recall from your 20 years of service, the oath of office is "to suport and defend the Constitution," not to enforce postal regulations at any cost. You may also find it illuminating to know that, "POS ring knockers in the Pentagon," do not make policy, they only make plans to execute policies generated by our elected and appointed civilian leadership.

Best regards,

Christopher Brownfield

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Charles Trimbach of Iraqi-Art.com made it known that his organization has been helping Iraqi Artists to bring their works to the United States since 2005. I was very excited to learn that another American organization is working to break down these cultural barriers. Thank you, Charles, for your diligent work! I look forward to working with you to help Iraqis gain visas, to study and to exhibit their art in the United States!

Images from the opening reception:

Left to Right: Matt Zarracina (Navy Pilot and instructor at Cornell University), me, and Mike Lang (Former Army Captain, published poet & new novelist). The three of us each worked to help our Iraqi artist-friends in some way during our time in Baghdad as military officers.

Detail of the Night of Fire installation

Detail of the Night of Fire installation

Works of Sat'aar Darweesh and Mohammed Hamdan

Oded Halahmy, explaining the symbolism of his bronze sculpture to a reporter during the exhibition. The sculpture depicts an Iraqi flag, stitched loosely together from three constituent pieces, each representing a region of Iraq. The pomegranate on top is a symbol of life and fertility.

Please me your comments!