the continuation of work leads to a hopeful conclusion, nearer every day. as things wind down, I'm looking forward to completing the work that has been ongoing for several months now. it is difficult to finish something and to put it out there to be critiqued, to say that you've done all you can and open yourself up to the possibility that the work will not be successful or that it will not have its intended response. There is always a desire to have work be something that is appreciated and elicits some favorable response or at least stimulates some discussion. I try not to have too many expectations. I know what the work means to me and I am interested in how it is viewed in order to further understand how I can approach ideas in the future. It is a constantly evolving process that is never complete. Understanding what the world is about and being free to explore new ideas.

Finishing my research and compiling all my images within my final project, I am struck by how few images came out of the first Gulf War. It is almost forgotten and certainly overshadowed by the current conflict. The lasting images that I have are the nightshot and crosshair pov shot of bombs and missiles flying through the air. It was so strange to see those images of a war in real time. This is what initially got me interested in exploring this topic. The way that technology and the evolution of this media coverage has affected public perception of war and in turn how artists have played a role in commenting on the events as well. What are the iconic images of this war.

I certainly think the AP photo of the charred bodies of American contracters hanging from the bridge in Fallujah will be remembered. They are such a pointed contrast to the staged demolishing of the statue of Saddam that occured upon the US forces entry into Baghdad in April 2003. That was supposed to be the end of the war, and yet we know better now.

moving beyond the media aspects of my project into the influence that art plays. i am beginning with the iconic images that have come out of war and embedded themselves in the public consciousness. Also looking at how art has played a role in unpacking the public consciousness of war, largely viewed through the lens of media coverage. Vietnam is the first war that comes to mind when I think of controversy, public scrutiny and a barrage of communication from media, to public protest, to artistic expression. I think this war is commonly held as being at the forefront of these types of social commentary, however, as I have found, this dialogue between media, the public and artists has existed in every military conflict.

a few images that I have been looking at:


John Trumball, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 1786

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851 Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze


The romaniticized view of war, the images that these ordeals inspire even decades after the event by those who may not have been alive during at the time.

A new wrinkle that photography brings, a gritty reality, unlike anything that had been seen before. Is it art or journalism?





Timothy O'Sullivan, Dead Soldiers on Battlefield-Gettysburg, PA, 1863






Posters and propaganda. Reproducable artwork. Images that endure and become reappropriated.





James Montgomery Flagg, I Want You for the U.S. Army, 1917














Eric Heckel, Zwei Verwundete (Two Wounded Soldiers), 1915












The foreign influence, and the beginning of new movements, Dadaism, that came out of war.

Joe Rosenthal, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, 1945















The lasting icons of American history. Reproduced endlessly, commented on again and again. The amalgamation of journalism and art. The way that one image can encapsulate the tenor of an event and reflect the larger consequences inherent to war. These images transcend the war itself and endure well beyond the scope of documenting military maneuvers. They are human history, human cruelty, suffering, triumph, terror. They evoke a sense of why we focus our attention on these conflicts, what we miss in the news, and are sometimes direct commentaries on the media.








J. Howard Miller, We Can Do It!, 1942-43

In my last post, I was beginning to peruse the notion of an artist's role in questioning the actions of a government. I think that is how I initially fell into this topic of research. I say fell because I really don't think I chose it as much as I felt it is an area that interested me and I needed to pursue it futher. Working in the media, I have become more critical of the tactics and the outcomes used in this business both on a local level and on a global scale. It is so critical to the public to get the correct information and to have it delivered in a way that is coherent and unbiased as possible. I have often considered how I found myself in this career having studied art in college. It has taught me a great deal, mostly about working methods in storytelling and using video as a medium to this end, but also about ethics and the nature of objectivity. In news, as in documentary and any art that we make, there is also some subjective opinion, some decision being made, it affects the outcome of the piece.

The focus of this class relates more closely to art and politics than it does to media studies, but I felt that these areas are so closely intertwined with what interests me right now in my studies. I think that I have come to the point where I enjoy making art that may hang on the wall of a gallery or in someone's house, but I recognize the limitations of that endeavor. That is not to say that is all it can be. For the most part however, this type of art can only reach a very small audience, and how much of that audience considers it closely enough to get something from it? Television, as well as film, whether it is news, entertainment or otherwise, reaches a very wide audience, but rarely is incredibly thought provoking. When it is, there is nothing more powerful to me.

This is where my interest as an artist lies in dissecting what the role of television, film and the media. It affects the decisions we make on a daily basis more fully than any painting or photograph can, no matter how much we want that not to be the truth. There is an incredible responsibility that exists in that power. Within the scope of my research, there are elements of politics, military conflict, reporting of information and the propaganda and censorship that comes out of that. These are also issues present in art and they are the things that influence art. We are in a better position to question them than the reporters that cover the story, or the politicians who spin it or the viewers who simply accept it as truth.

I have been looking a lot at the websites of different film makers and media artists. Here are a few to check out:

http://www.errolmorris.com/ the "official", yes "official" Errol Morris website. if you are interested in documentary, or just damn good film, check it out. also a lot interesting commercial work and various other media

http://www.mayslesfilms.com/index.htm if you haven't seen any Maysle's films, then you are missing the verite in your life! this is a good primer for where to start, lots of good info if you are already a fan.

http://www.alanberliner.com a documentary film maker and media artist who works extensively with archival film footage and employs interesting editing techniques as well as using various media as part of installation works in gallery spaces

http://phfilms.com/ the home of Pennebaker Hegedus Films, as in D.A. and Chris. more quintessential verite, think Don't Look Back and The War Room.

http://www.vdb.org/ the video databank-a collection of work from media artists, a listing of various artists found in that collection.

http://www.hi-beam.net/cgi-bin/flicker.pl flicker-a listing of film and video artists, venues for work and links to related material

this is hardly scratching the surface of what's on the web, and of course there is much more beyond the scope of what exists online.