Children's suffering captured in Anthony Lawless' thought-provoking image
Artist Anthony Lawless has created another thought-provoking image on the Clonmel streetscape that encourages people to stop and consider the plight of children suffering all over the world.
His striking image on the gable end of Gleesons in Irishtown of a distressed child, with the hand of a parent reaching out to console, is entitled "If I should fall behind" , taken from a Bruce Springsteen lyric.
While the inspiration for the work came from within the Clonmel community,it has resonance on a much wider stage for Anthony.
He was moved by the campaign launched in the Clonmel community to support 23 year-old Emma Lacey, who is enduring a six-year battle with progressive spinal diseases and who underwent brain surgery in August.
"Clonmel people are absolutely fantastic. Life can be harrowing and Emma's situation has really struck a chord.
“This is the second time in a year that they have responded in such an incredible fashion to help out young people in the community and their families who are suffering", he said.
Anthony said he wanted to capture the spirit of the campaign to support Emma Lacey that was taking place and also to send out a message to people to remember that there are children suffering all over the world.
He hopes the sight of the image on Gleesons will encourage people to consider what is happening to children all over the world, including the tragedy of thousands of child refugees all over Europe without a home and in a growing number of cases without a parent to help them.
Anthony is passionate about the need to rally to help children suffering in Ireland and all over the world and he has been a consistent advocate for children in direct provision, homeless children and child refugees.
He has visited Calais on a number of occasions and what struck him was the huge number of unaccompanied minors who were desperate for help and support.
"There are kids as young as eleven and twelve with no parents roaming all over Europe.
They have fled the Taliban , the Syrian regime and other horrific situations. I was there in Calais in 2016 and there was between three and four hundred unaccompanied minors there trying to fend for themselves" he said.
"If there were three or four hundren horses left in a field there would be a massive outcry in the world" said Anthony, whose daughter Amy is working on the ground at the moment in Calais.
His dramatic image on Gleesons wall of the distressed child replaced the painting of the man with a crumbling world in his hands, which was deisgned to create awareness about global warming.
"I used the Springsteen lyric because nobody should be left behind. People are supporting Emma in a very powerful way, just as they did Evan Hickey and his family before that.
“People in the community are lifted by the response to Emma's plight. Clonmel people do care and they are very kind-hearted" said Anthony.
He is kindly donating the proceeds from a limited print edition of fifty of the image on Gleesons to The Emma Lacey Trust.
The "If I Should Fall Behind" print is available for €50 from Anthony, who can be contacted on 086-3021297.