SUPER REVIEW OF ZEENA'S WORK by Stanley Gemmell [poet, author & performance artist]

Repost from:
"​Stanley Gemmell's Poetry, Musings, Selections and Apologies... Enjoy! "

ZEENA is an artist, activist and mystic currently living in Germany. What I find especially fascinating and inspiring about her is her ability to change and grow with the times. Born into daunting circumstances, she managed not only to rise above them, but to re-invent herself despite what I surmise might be abominable pulls toward lethargy and abject nostalgia.

​In one of her texts, “Demons of the Flesh” she explores the metaphysics of eroticism. Not simply focusing on Hermeticism and the usual occult fare, she also looks at the important contributions of French philosophy (in the form of Georges Bataille) and other, vital strands of evidence… ultimately sharing experiential knowledge and suggesting one use one’s own as guide.

Zeena Schreck is very beautiful. And her awareness of this is not simple, nor yet affected. She presents herself and her energy in a very straight-forward way which is refreshing in itself, but which, upon closer inspection, reveals the gentle touch of a survivor helping others survive. The first thing one does when confronted with the prospect of extinction, naturally, being human, is panic. When this happens to a group, the result is collective hysteria. Perhaps her experiences during the 1980’s allowed her to see such circumstance unfold around her (and their manipulation and co-opting by nefarious forces of self-interest) in such a way that she holds a tender regard for the possibility of others going through them as well, but she has a gentle touch, which belies a fierce mind and steely core.

ZEENA’s art is fascinating. Maintaining a lucid awareness between the mediated roles of artist and academic, theorist and practitioner, her art is yet generous enough to question such ambiguity. Her piece “Ladders” questions not only Euclidian Geometry, but the formalist expansion of Western Metaphysics it stands for. How is one to “rise” in a society based upon questionable heirarchies, where, for instance, Social Justice and Reform is not necessarily based upon the injuries sustained by victims but sometimes just as likely the power of the accused? Recalling Feudal Warfare - Caste System Dynamics and other illusory states of “Maya” the piece is yet presented in soothing tones and inviting poetics of space. It’s as if ZEENA were leaving behind an Easter Egg, something someone could enjoy at whatever level of development they had attained to in dealing with it, yet something which also continued to reward dilligent and patient effort.

The future for ZEENA will hopefully contain more expansion. It will be very lucky for the Artist community and every other group or individual she manages to touch with her sincere and powerfully articulated grace if she continues to thrive and generously shine upon us!
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-STANLEY GEMMELL
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Gallery contacts and for commissioned art by Zeena contact:   [email protected]

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Original post can be seen at
Stanley Gemmell's writings blog: ​http://stanleygemmell.tumblr.com/post/94193114815/zeena-is-an-artist-activist-and-mystic-currently