Fred’s Journey
Biarritz France
A warning raid on the resort town of Biarritz on 28 April 1943 was meant to threaten any move to fascist Spain and an alliance with Hitler, but resulted in the immolation of seven English airmen. Their carbonized bodies were carefully buried in the cemetery, and I laid a wreath there on Armistice Day in 1995.
“The beautiful church of St. Andrew suffered major damage then. The Army University was temporarily set up there to further the education of soldiers who had to wait transportation home at war’s end. They could not use this church, but used the Casino Theater instead.”
Artist’s Statement
- Constance Levathes
From
When I was five I was afraid of churches. The Greek Orthodox Church my family attended was full of icons that seemed to know what I was thinking, gray incense-filled air, and endless rituals in a language I didn’t understand. As I grew older, my fear turned into creative fascination. The images from the church began to inspire me and I began to make shrines myself. For me, making shrines helps fear memories fade to ghost-like snapshots. I felt that putting these shards in this shrine could help capture Fred McDonald’s experience at Biarritz as well as honor the past.
Artist Information
-
Constance Levathes
Berkeley, California
Specifications
Number of shards: 12
Dimensions: 21½” × 51½”
Medium: cast sandblasted glass frits, painted, stained and enameled plate glass
