Gallery > In This Life > Novus Ordo Mundi

Statement for “Novus Ordo Mundi”
September 2006

The title “Novus Ordo Mundi” is a Latin phrase for New World Order (see the reference #1). The concept of a "New World Order" was first expressed by G.H. Bush (See George H.W. Bush's New World Order Speech). In this painting there are portraits of two soldiers in front of American flag on the left and a portrait of the U.S. President and Osama bin Ladin on the right side in the image. The entire image looks like a patriotic painting, but the real intention of the image is very different from the first look. The image contains hidden symbolic elements in the image , which some people associate with conspriracy theories.

The number 32,111 painted in lower center is the total estimated death toll on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and includes all of the victims, solders, Iraqi civilians, victims of the terrorist attacks in New York, London, Madrid, and Bali according to the Daily Mail, September 11, 2006 (see reference #5). I painted it on collages of newspaper articles clipped to show the name and number of the death for the American Solders.

I painted the two portraits of these well known leaders—U.S. President George W. Bush and Osama bi Ladin—on the right of the image since they are the very important people who have the responsibility for all of the death from terroism and the War in Iraq. I painted GWB staring towards the bottom-right corner and I tried to capture the expression of GWB when he was notified about the terrorist attack on 9/11 while he was reading a children’s book in the classroom. In my painting, he has turned his back to the soldiers who are in the war zone fighting for his decision, which shows his ignorance to the people as well as the number of death toll painted on his shoulder. Also, I painted several hidden symbolic elements with them. For example, two words “Conspiracy” are in the image near the portraits of GWB and OBL, but they can only be seen correctly through a mirror. This is also true for the portrait of GWB (when you see the hairstyle of GWB in the painting, you will realize it’s a mirror image of him).

Another symbolic element in my painting is the eye on the pyramid. A similar image is on the back of the American dollar bill that is called the “Novus Ordo Seclorum" (Latin for "New Order of the Ages". See the reference #2). However, the image in my painting is a little different since I used the version Novus Ordo Mundi ("New World Order") instead of Novus Ordo Seclorum ("New World Age"). Also, the object in the painting, the distorted image of Skull & 322 that is pulling GWB’s neck is the emblem of the “Skull and Bones” Society (see the reference #3), which is a secret society based at Yale University. You can see the original image of the "Skull and Bones with 322” when you see it from the upper left corner. This method for distorting the image was first used in the panting “The Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein in 1533.

The left side of the image contains portraits of two soldiers, which are painted on a collage of newspaper articles with stories about the American and other coalition troops that were killed as well as the death toll and the names of the Americans who were killed in the war. The soldiers exhibit their confidence and belief in the mission while facing the realities of war—both are there for the country. I sense that some of them are fighting for their country believing their leader (President) and others have to be in the war since they joined the military to go to college. Once they have been called for service, they have no choice regardless of whether they support the war or not. I painted the two soldiers in the painting with my respect for the people who face death in fighting for their country…regardless of whether the reasons behind the war are right or wrong. The painting tries to express that all people who have died in the war, including all the soldiers, are victims of the war. I believe that the American solders are victims of the war as well as the Iraqi people and the people who died in the terrorist attacks as a consequence of the war. Additionally, all those who lost a family member such as a parent, son, daughter, brother, friend, are also victims.

There are so many uncertain points of view about 9/11 and the war includes numerous conspiracy theories. I included the symbols such as “Novus Ordo Mundi”, an emblem of the “Skull and Bones society” as part of the discussion that people are having concerning the war. Nobody really knows what the true case is, but that is what some people are taking about. Personally, I don’t believe anything that doesn’t have proper evidence, but there are some coincidences that make one think. These are unsure, mysterious things. Honestly, I don't know what to believe, but one thing is certain that the two leaders in the image on the right side of the painting bear the responsibly for all the death and the war. The result of their decisions such as the terrorist act on 9/11 and the Iraq War has caused a lot of death and suffering.

Kumiko S. McKee

References:

#1.
New World Order

George H.W. Bush's New World Order Speech

Novus Ordo Mundi

#2.
Novus Ordo Seclorum

#3.
Skull and Bones Society

Yale Banner of Skull and Bones Society

G. H. W. Bush and the Society

Washington Post, April 4, 2004, Page D01

#4.
One World Government

#5.
News by Daily Mail, 11th September 2006
Headline: “62,111 dead: The toll of the war on terror so far... but experts say it could be three times higher”

#6
“The Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein