Skulls for Peace art by John Cat

Peace Skull 01 & 02 each on 16" x 16" x 1.25" canvas with black frame. This artwork is digitally signed by the artist.

    “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject-matter, an art which could be for every menial worker, for the businessman as well as the man of letters, for example, a soothing, calming influence on the mind, something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.” - Henri Matisse - painter

 SKULLS for PEACE ART
        Skulls for Peace is a new contemporary art conceptual about using art to inspire positive change and elevate ourselves as humans to a higher consciousness of life. This can be both on a personal level as well as related to the world's problems with conflict, genocide, bombing of civilian populated areas & other war crimes in our current times.
          The human skull, has captivated artists for millennia, serving as a haunting reminder of the fleeting nature of life and something we can all relate to as we humans all inhabit the same structural anatomy. The skull protects the brain and supports the face.
It's made up of 22 bones, including the cranium and facial bones.
            Skulls are something we can all appreciate as they house our brain, the so called “seat of intellect”, as well as of course the place of our hearing, seeing, smelling and tasting.
         When we practice meditation we are advised to close our eyes and focus on the inner "third eye", which sits in the middle of the skull between them. 
The human pineal gland  "third eye" is an extremely active neuro endocrine transducer and when "opened", you might experience a heightened sense of intuition, a deeper connection to your inner self, increased clarity of thought, vivid dreams, a feeling of inter-connectedness with everything around you, and sometimes even subtle sensations like tingling or pressure between your eyebrows; essentially, a more profound understanding of reality beyond the physical world, often described as a "knowing".

           To "Use your skull" essentially means "use your head" - which means to think carefully, use common sense, or apply your brain to a situation; it's a way to tell someone to think logically and make a good decision.
So, Skulls for Peace is an Art movement which encourages higher intelligence.

One skull from the art book Skulls for Peace.

 Skulls depicted in art can be both thought provoking & humorous­.
Although the most common symbolic use of the skull in ART is as a representation of death, they can also be used as a symbol of:
-- respect
-- strength & protection
-- wealth
-- toughness
-- humor
-- transformation
-- bravery
-- a life-and-death struggle
-- display of power
     Skulls also symbolize life and in other cultures the skull is used to celebrate the deceased or to reconnect with the spirit world.
Throughout all history, humans have been fascinated by anatomy and the skull. Skulls can appear in ancient carvings such as Petroglyphs and yes, skulls appear in  “Fine” art too.

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette by Vincent Van Gogh

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette is an early work by famed French artist Vincent Van
 Gogh (b.1853 - d.1890) The small and undated canvas painting featuring a skeleton smoking a cigarette was most likely painted in the winter of 1885–86 as a satirical comment on conservative academic practices.
Van Gogh was a young student at the time as the study of anatomy is a prerequisite for any aficionado of art in general.

          Mexican artist, lithographer & engraver, Jose Guadalupe Posada (b.1852 - d.1913) who is perhaps best known for his animated skeletons (calaveras) created works like La Calavera Catrina at a time when photo-mechanical technology was in its infancy. Most of his works were engraved or etched in relief on type metal for publication in daily publications and pamplets meant for the masses printed on cheap newsprint.
             Often expressionistic in content and style, the art of Posada also has a satirical acuteness and fosters
 social engagement with humor.
          Art involving skulls is ­­­often t­­ermed as belonging to the trope of 'memento mori' – named after a Latin phrase meaning "remember (that you have) to die or remember death, remember the dead".  It can be used to ­describe a practice, object, or artwork that serves this purpose.
            The phrase comes from the Bible, in the opening lines of the Book of Ecclesiastes.Artwork reminiscent of memento mori endeavors to symbolically remind its viewer of the present moment of life & the inevitability of death. The most common motif is a skull, often accompanied by bones.
 
        In modern art, artist of all stripes and disciplines have used the skull motif and even in the Pop Art movement.

In 1976, American artist Andy Warhol (b. 1928- d.1987) created a 10 part large canvas silkscreen series called simply, Skulls.
Famous for 1960’s Pop Art commercialism of the banal & celebration of fame, Warhol's Skulls offer the notion of death as the blank afterimage of life, rather than as a melancholy fate.
 
  Further on and into the New York art circus of the early 1980's, the super talents of artist Jean Michel Basquiat  (b.1960-d.1987) emerged into the cultural mix, if only for a short time.

Jean Michel Basquiat Untitled (Skull) , 1981 Acrylic and oil paint stick on canvas. 89 1/2" tall x 69 1/4" ( 207x175.9cm) The Eli & Edythe I. Broad Collection, Los Angeles

Basquiat quickly became one of the most famous artists of that era and arguably still is.
His prolific oeuvre is filled with symbols scratched, words scribbled, words crossed out, phrase, screaming faces, anatomical drawings and also contain Skulls in his unique style.
 
In our new times, Skulls for Peace conceptual art seeks to engage the viewer via Skulls, as an inspirational peace initiative for all to embrace, utilizing the expressionistic message of art as a tool to heal, transform and transcend an ill society.

The Gift of Gab on 24" tall x 36" wide x 1.25" thick black framed canvas. -- Limited Edition Artwork of only 200 pieces.

 Los Angeles based artist James Sasso (b. 1960) created the Skulls for Peace conceptual & art as a continuation of the artistic cultural traditions of mankind. Sasso's definitive and distinctive style involves semantics & semiotics as a prevalent theme in his mixed media artworks filled with color and meaning.

Skulls For Peace art acts as a bridge to elevate the viewer into a higher consciousness of positive energy for themselves as well as the  betterment of society.
www.SKULLSforPEACE.com  Hardback Art book coming soon.

Skulls for Peace on tee shirts with your city on them from the 2025 art conceptual.