Inspired by the whore of Babylon in the Book of Revelation (17:3–4), Albrecht Dürer’s 1498 woodcut, The Whore of Babylon and, William Blake’s 1809 pen and watercolour over pencil, The Whore of Babylon, Pablo Picasso’s 1937 canvas Guernica, my The Whore of Babylon seeks to evoke a dialogue about both the underlying reasons for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the incalculable atrocities that were committed that day in the name of God.

Arguably September 11, 2001 was the most significant event in the history of the United States.  This event caused an immediate and sustained impact on all elements of the Republic from economics to military that continue to this very day.  Yet as a nation, we continue to avoid an open exploration regarding the underlying causes of this horrific event.  Can a nation that is the embodiment of materialism, personal gratification and the external extricate itself from the impacts of disproportionate consumption and world events.  Does the quality of the toilet tissue we use, the frequency of middle-aged male erections and female orgasms, the gourmet-like appearance of the food we feed our cats, and the consumption of an enormous percentage of the planet’s natural resources represent our birth rights or our own narcissism? 

As millions of Africans die, as  generations of Palestinians are born into refugee camps, as our own economic system keeps minorities virtually in an economic class of medieval serfs, can we continue to claim to be the greatest democracy in world history?  The greatness of our Republic has been gloriously demonstrated on many occassions, not the least of which was the countless acts of herosim demonstrated on September 11, 2001, but I pray that we all heed the prophetic words of George Santayana, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.