On The Fence Print

‘On The Fence’ was inspired by Helene Mayer, a world champion Olympic fencer who competed for Nazi Germany in the 1936 Summer Olympics, despite having been forced to leave Germany and resettle in the United States because she was of partial Jewish family background. The Amateur Athletic Union voted to boycott the 1936 Olympics, to be held in Berlin, unless Jews were allowed to take part in the German trials and compete for Germany in the Olympics. As a gesture of compliance, the German Olympic Committee invited Mayer to join the national team. She agreed, hoping to be accepted back into German society, and returned to her home country to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics where she won a silver medal. Controversially, she wore a swastika and extended her right arm in the Nazi salute on the stand during the medal ceremony. This upset many, but others explained that she was trying to protect her family. Although her Jewish father had died in 1931, her mother and two brothers had continued to live in Germany. Despite her efforts, he was not accepted back into German society. Ultimately, she settled in the United States and had a successful fencing career, winning the US women's foil championship 8 times from 1934–1946. I chose to paint Helene as a middle aged woman who’d faced criticism about her identity, and finally came to terms with herself as an athlete and woman of greatness in a time of unjust moral conflict. Politics, religion and the role women play in society have always been laced into my work. The moral conflicts that we face are often escalated by powers that be, a male hierarchy rooted in bloodshed. Some women conform to our gender's limited traditional roles as not to break the mold and be seen as a threat to the system; A way to avoid persecution, and an attempt to cope with our perceived societal status. Helene must have resented her circumstances, wanting nothing more than to compete for the honor of her country. In this painting, I chose to leave out the Fencer’s Heart shaped patch, a symbol that her heart (and family) were left behind in Germany. The title ‘On the Fence’ is a statement about the identity issues Mayer faced while pursuing her greatest achievements. I hope this piece will evoke strength and resilience, beauty, vulnerability and compassion in the viewers who enjoy it.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:9 W x 12 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:14.25 W x 17.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.