LIBRO - CATÁLOGO HAITZ DE DIEGO

58 COLLECTIONS For years, the only way to obtain graphic materi- al to document history has been through art, es- pecially when people were illiterate. It is not for nothing that museums are full of works depict- ing war conflicts because war and violence have always been omnipresent in the history of man- kind. This is how a collective imaginary has been built up over the ages. Thanks to the representa- tions made by artists —considered craftsmen and chroniclers of history— events were dissem- inated from one side or the other of the battle or dispute until the birth of photography at the end of the 19th century. Fortunately, the statu quo for artists opened up to new and promising horizons when they began to be understood as creators and possessors of ar- tistic talent. This opened the door to their artistic and creative freedom. In the face of conflict, the artist —usually sensitive, emotional, and suspi- cious— reacts and seeks to reflect the surround - ing reality. This large series of paintings is the result of the profound impression that the civil war that be- gan in Syria after the anti-government protests of 2011 made on a much younger and impres- sionable artist. The conflict triggered an unprece - Painting as testimony: SYRIA ...From the Darkness , 2017 Acrílico sobre lienzo Acrylic on Canvas 80 cm x 100 cm THE VISION - Haitz de Diego