Allan Linder: 9/11, Never Forget

It is hard to believe that I painted this work over twenty years ago. Living in New York on September 11th changed my life. From my tiny apartment in the city, I had a view of the World Trade Center Towers through my studio window about a mile away. I would marvel at the immensity of these buildings and the fact that they were built in the 1970s. I had just moved from Los Angeles, so there was nothing even close to that size.

From this window, I could see everything. From the moment of impact on, nothing would be the same. The whole thing seemed surreal and for the first few days following this horrific event, I tried volunteering, giving blood, and even setting up an emergency contact website for people in the ground zero zone. After a few days of watching the horror of it all on television, I decided to paint, and give something back.

I was an artist on a mission. I didn't have much money to donate so I created a series of paintings celebrating America and what it stands for while mourning the loss of so many people. The paintings that I punched out were nothing like I'd ever done before. They are Americana with a modern twist.

I began with an even theme of creating thirteen paintings symbolizing the original thirteen colonies that formed America. Eventually, I would exhibit and auction most of the work and then donate the money to charity as a way to give back. Below are those paintings.

The work was also exhibited during the “9/11 Artists Response” at Fulton Street Gallery, Troy, NY