Is this dragonfly a messenger for the Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia?
In August I was at the house of good friends, Dave and John, enjoying a birthday (mine) cocktail when John offered to show me a secret passageway to Canyon Road. They live near the Tea House and a community of artist studios. On an old adobe wall outside the studios, I spotted this pasted portrait of a shawled woman with a dragonfly eyes. On the bottom left, in red lettering, is ‘Made of Hagop’.
I’m not quite sure where to go with that. I see that Hagop Hagopian was the nom de guerre of a leader of the Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia created to avenge the killing of 1.5 Armenians by Turkey during World War I. Hagop was born in Mosul, Iraq, carried a Yemeni passport, had alliances with the Palestinians and was enemies with Turkey, Syria and Israel. He was 37, in Athens and on his way to Belgrade when assassinated by two unknown assailants with sawed off shotguns.
Such an international web of secrecy, militancy and intrigue. Where does this woman and the dragonfly come in? Her headscarf, hat, jewelry and blouse appear to be traditional Armenian. Is she free? Is this the work of an Armenian artist?
These are the inquiries that found dragonflies take us into. Remain in a state of inquiry!