4th November - 25th November 2009

Keith Seybert’s “Hearts and Minds” exhibition now at Powerscourt Gallery:
The title, “Hearts and Minds” harkens back to the distinction drawn by the philosopher Plato, between the heart and the mind; between emotion and thought; a false dichotomy if modern trends in cognitive psychology are to be believed.
The phrase "winning the hearts and minds" has, through incessant repetition in recent years, become indelibly linked with counterinsurgency objectives implemented in pursuit of an interventionist foreign policy. For example, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps’ Counterinsurgency Field Manual, states that, "Protracted popular war is best countered by winning the 'hearts and minds' of the populace."
The objects in this exhibition were inspired by considering these accepted meanings and the images and phrases generated by this process. Some are more playful and humorous; others take a darker tone. But all, I trust, will provoke a thoughtful engagement of material and meaning.