Students passing by Ebert Art Center in the next month will be able to see a selection of art approaching the subject of the War in Iraq, organized by Laurel Bradley, Director of Exhibitions at the Carleton College Art Gallery.†† The exhibition, entitled War Work: Artists Engage Iraq and Other Wars, started yesterday, Jan. 14, and, according to Bradley, is promoting ìnot anti-war, but war awareness.” It features work from† Daniel Heyman, John Risseeuw, Megan Vossler, Ehren Tool and Combat Paper Project, a collaborative work of Drew Matott and Drew Cameron.† ìIt’s not protest art,” said Bradley.” In a lot of this work, thereís a real effort to think not just about good and bad and right and wrong, but more so what it is about the human race that has to do this whole war thing.”† One artist, Heyman, is involved with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, a non-profit legal advocacy organization. His artwork comes from sitting in testimonies of Iraqi civilians and drawing them, making prints later.
ìIím pretty much against war as a solution to problems of the government. One of those reasons is that the victims of war tend not to be the people the government is after. Iím not sure who theyíre even going after anymore when Iraqis are shot on their way to work as a consequence to our struggles. Those victims donít have a government that talks for. them, and I feel like itís one little thing I can do to bring their voice into the discussions of America.”
Risseeuwís work, however, makes paper out of the clothing of war victims and a pulper, using this paper to print images that tell stories about land mine victims. ìThe wars and conflicts may be over in some areas of our past, but land mines are still devastating to those in the area,” said Bradley. Proceeds from his work goes to organizations that help victims of land mines.
Toolís approach to art consists of making ceramic cups with war images. Some of his cups were used in a video on YouTube entitled ì1.5 Second War Memorial,” in which the viewer is instructed to watch a 1.5 second of a cup for each casualty of war you wish to honor of a particular war. ìIf you tried to honor all that died in World War II,” Tool said, ìYou’d be watching that for more than two years.”
Typically, Toolís cups can be sold in whole units for people to keep. ìYou spend a lot more time with an image on a cup than you do with your average newspaper. That cup is your cup for a while,” said Tool. ìWhen you see these, you have to think.”†† Vossler’s pieces highlight soldiers in formations, isolated from background images. ìSheís taking this whole set of activities we associate with actions and making them into a meditative view,” Bradley said. ìShe takes away the busy background and puts the few figures on a sheet of white paper, so you focus on them in a quiet and subtle drawing. It makes us think about war and our usual context of understanding it, allowing us some distance and broader framework.”† Finally, Compact Paper consists of one Iraq War veteran (Cameron) and one artist (Matott). The two find other war veterans to donate uniforms, which are cut up and pulped into paper for their art.†† ìAt a lot of the receptions we’ve had, people were really compelled to come talk to me. Veterans and hardcore peace activists alike.” said Tool. ìI like that there’s openness for both sides to talk about the work. It shows how we’re all connected.”
In addition to the pieces by these artists, Ebert Center Curator Kitty Zurko added prints from Wooster’s professional art collection, including pieces from K‰the Kollwitz, Muirhead Bone and Francisco Goya. The exhibition will continue to be on display until Feb. 28.† ìThe Iraq war may be winding down, but that’s all the more reason to apply all the critical thinking skills we’re learning in college to this war and its impact on us,” said Bradley.