Behind the Lines

Behind the Lines

Lines create order, stability and even comfort, but not without the risk of narrowing our perceptions of reality. They can make us feel safe by creating borders or threatened when enemy lines draw near. Lines of words in the media can educate us or brainwash us. In this exhibit, the artist explores the connection between what lies on the surface and what lies behind the lines.

Artist Ola Rondiak has observed first-hand how the line between peace and war is a fragile one. Having lived over 20 years in Kyiv, Ukraine, as well as being first generation American, the artist has seen and heard these lines crossed many times. In her childhood, she heard countless stories of the enemy lines moving and her family escaping the brutality of the Soviet Regime. Living through two revolutions in Ukraine she watched riot police lines, military lines and even country border lines move. Over the years, she has encountered the results of 70 years of Soviet propaganda and brainwashing. Ola’s background as a psychotherapist has immersed her into human psychology, which gives her an understanding of how the lines of perception directly impact one’s beliefs and identities.

The symbolism of lines is evident in the artist's works; from the stories of her childhood, to the military lines in the ongoing war in Ukraine, to the headlines in mainstream newspapers and magazines, all of which influence our understanding of current and historical events. In this exhibit, Ola is providing a space for all of us to look behind the lines where we hope to uncover the freedom of the mind. Somewhere behind the lines of propaganda and our individual perceptions lies the truth, the soul behind the lines.