| Aileen Bassis "Homilies for the 99%" is about income inequality, a defining issue of our time. A homily is a moral lesson, often a platitude that favors broad brushstrokes of generalities over complex and subtle examination of issues. The aspect of homilies in this work is derived from the literature of Horatio Alger, a writer from the 19th century. He wrote enormously popular books for young adults that stressed simple moral virtues such as honesty and hard work as the means to climb from poverty to financial security. People were reading these during the Depression. These ideas are still floating around and used to blame people for their poverty rather than blame institutional forces. This work combines images and text from Horatio Alger novels with urban street imagery to make prints with mixed media. |
| Sam's Chance, 2014, 16 x 16" |
| Shifting, 2014, 16 x 16" |
| Adrift, 2014, 16 x 16"' |
| One Vacancy, 6 lithographs with pencil, each 10 x 8" 2014 |