By Ann Nicholson
November 9, 2001
 Werner Gephart, the Fulbright Distinguished Visiting Chair for German Studies, hangs one of his three pastel collages that explore the roles of the American flag and American heroism after the Sept. 11 tragedies. The works are on display at the School of Law's Institute for Global Legal Studies in Anheuser-Busch Hall through March 31. |
The American flag's power to heal and unite in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedies unfolds in three paintings by Werner Gephart, Ph.D., the Fulbright Distinguished Visiting Chair for German Studies at Washington University and professor of sociology at the University of Bonn.
Gephart's tribute to American heroism and resiliency is part of an exhibit of his work at the School of Law's Institute for Global Legal Studies in Anheuser-Busch Hall through March 31. Viewing hours for the exhibit are from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
An opening reception for these works and other paintings in the exhibit, "Max Weber in America," is slated for 5-7 p.m. Nov. 12.
Profoundly moved by the American patriotic response to the terrorist attacks, Gephart created three pastel collages to explore the roles of the American flag and American heroism. The works combine newspaper photographs of the rescue efforts and a reproduction of the World Trade Center at the time of the second attack with his pastel drawings of the American flag.
"Europeans have come to associate the display of flags with the fanaticism of fascism," Gephart said. "But the absolute appropriateness of Americans flying their country's flag following the Sept. 11 acts of terrorism has redefined the role of the flag and restored it as a symbol of comfort, consolation and pride.
"My paintings attempt to honor the American flag and American people by drawing on the 19th-century tradition of flag-painting along the lines of Frederic Edwin Church's painting 'Our Banner in the Sky,'" Gephart continued. "By incorporating images of the World Trade Center and the heroic rescue efforts, my paintings also seek to capture the tension between the evil and horror of terrorism and America's initial heroic response, as symbolized by the American flag."
The other eight paintings in Gephart's exhibit also attempt to reinterpret the human condition but in a more specialized sense, as they explore the intersection between the social sciences and the arts. The paintings link important historic figures in the social sciences --Max Weber, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Auguste Comte --with symbolic landscapes and interiors. At the same time, artistic license permits Gephart to create a "dialogue" in his artwork between these important historic figures, who may never have actually met.
A leading authority on Weber, Gephart's research interests focus on social order and modernity, which in turn carry over into his artistic expression.
"The gap between art and science is generally regarded as unbridgeable, for the inner logic of aesthetics and the outward logic of scientific research are in obvious contradiction," he said. "However, art provides for us a sociological view of the world. I strive in my study of sociological theory to be inspired by painting, and in my painting to be inspired by theory."
The title of the exhibit, "Max Weber in America," refers to Weber's fascination with America, and, in particular, the connection he saw between a Protestant ethic and capitalism. Weber was profoundly influenced by his travel to the United States and his visit to St. Louis during the 1904 World's Fair, where he lectured on "The Relations of the Rural Community to Other Branches of the Social Sciences."
A German social scientist, historian and philosopher, Weber is credited with founding the field of sociology. He also is known for his theories on social action, social organization and social evolution, which incorporate views on authority, bureaucracy, charismatic leadership, rationalization and the "cultural sciences," which today would encompass social sciences and the arts.
Gephart notes that the law school is an appropriate venue for his paintings since Weber, who was originally trained as a lawyer and jurist, was influenced by the legal system when formulating his theories on sociology.
Gephart, who holds degrees in law and sociology, is visiting the University through an appointment with the Department of Political Science in Arts & Sciences. He is teaching a course on German social theory this semester and will be offering a course next semester that is open to both law and Arts & Sciences students on "Max Weber's Sociology of the Law." Additionally, he is planning a lecture on "The Community and the Flag."
Although the subject matter of his paintings is serious, Gephart introduces a lighter side to his works by subtly inserting himself through an allusion to his own last name. The cheetah-colored waist-coat and accessories sported by the various social scientists play off the German word for cheetah, "gepard," which in turn refers to Gephart.
Additionally, in one painting representing Weber, the lettering in the background taken from Robert Indiana's "American Gasworks" is rearranged to refer to the "American Gepharts" arriving in St. Louis this academic year. Gephart's wife, Irmgard, Ph.D., is offering a colloquium on medieval German literature at the University, and their daughter, Leonie, is a student at University City High School.
While this self-inclusion is absent from the three paintings memorializing Sept. 11, Gephart notes that his impressions and those of his family are reflected in the artwork that depicts the sudden and tragic change to everyday life in America.
"During the state of terrible disorder, we were struck by the spirit of community that emerged from the horror --the heroic efforts of the rescue workers and America's initial response of proudly displaying its flag," he said
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