Artists Registry

On this 12th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks I wish to share an original oil painting in monochromic red, white and blue titled “9-11”. I purchased 9-11 in April 2005 from a talented, self-taught artist and personal friend of mine, David Pizzimenti. Dave drew a pencil sketch on the piece the day following the attacks. He completed the rather large 8 ft. by 4 ft. work over the following 3-4 months.

When I purchased the piece I asked Dave to write about the emotions that inspired the artwork. He did so and enclosed that message in a zip-lock stapled to his homemade frame to which the canvas is stretched. To this day, I have never read that note. It is unlikely that I ever will. During our country's darkest days following the attacks, Dave harnessed inspiration from his emotions while a bewildered nation mourned horrific losses and sacrificed everything to right the wrongs. We are all survivors of that day, each of us with unique and intimately painful memories that are all branches on the tree of life. While our losses were inequitable, the desolation of that day was observable from Ground Zero to the farthest recess of our universe.

So on behalf of David, I will share with you my very personal thoughts and feelings about this provocative piece of artwork in which every detail creates an indelible declaration of remembrance. I want to remember the emotions of that day and all the days thereafter that have changed my life in so many ways. I don't ever want to forget the terror, grief and disbelief of that day which Dave so cathartically depicts in "9-11."

I want to remember the 400 firefighters, paramedics and police officers who, without remonstrance, knowingly marched into the most hazardous of scenarios in a futile attempt to carry hundreds more to safety, only to be pulverized by the falling wreckage of two of the world's tallest man-made structures. I want to try to understand how dozens of terrorists could contrive and execute a long-term plan to kill thousands of young and old men, women, and children simply because they were Americans. I want to remember the aftermath of thousands dying in the resulting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the thousands of broken families, the resulting worldwide economic depression and subsequent loss of American civil liberties in order to protect our homeland from those who would attack the defenseless.

For all who admire David’s work and view 9-11, I hope you will take a few minutes of your time to pay tribute to the many who have fallen to preserve, protect and restore our American way of life.

I have not forgotten. I can forgive, but I will never forget. I pray that you too will never forget.
-Steve-