From Gettysburg to Iraq
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Schmucker Art Catalogs Schmucker Art Gallery Fall 2016 Bodies in Conflict: rF om Gettysburg to Iraq Laura E. Bergin Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs Part of the American Art and Architecture Commons, Art and Design Commons, Art Practice Commons, European History Commons, Military History Commons, and the United States History Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Recommended Citation Bergin, Laura E., "Bodies in Conflict: rF om Gettysburg to Iraq" (2016). Schmucker Art Catalogs. 19. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs/19 This open access art catalog is brought to you by The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The Cupola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bodies in Conflict: rF om Gettysburg to Iraq Description The exhibition Bodies in Conflict: rF om Gettysburg to Iraq not only conveys an ambitious geographic and historical range, but also reflects the sensitivity, ambition, and thoughtfulness of its curator, Laura Bergin ’17. In examining how the human figure is represented in prints and photographs of modern war and political conflict, Laura considers how journalistic photographs, artistic interpretations, and other visual documentation of conflict and its aftermath compare between wars and across historical periods. Specific objects include a print and photographs from the Civil War, propaganda posters from World Wars I and II, photographs and a protest poster from the Vietnam War, and a large-scale photograph of a reconstructed journalistic image of Saddam Hussein’s palace by Iraqi-born contemporary artist Wafaa Bilal. Taken together, the works in the exhibition make a profound political and humanitarian statement about suffering, heroism, death, compassion, and appeals to nationalism throughout wars over the last 150 years. [excerpt] Keywords Modern War, Political Conflict, Civil arW , World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Middle East Disciplines American Art and Architecture | Art and Design | Art Practice | European History | History | Military History | United States History Publisher Schmucker Art Gallery, Gettysburg College Comments Bodies in Conflict: rF om Gettysburg to Iraq is on exhibition at the Schmucker Art Gallery at Gettysburg College, September 9 - October 22, 2016. This art catalog is available at The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/ artcatalogs/19 Bodies in Conflict: From Gettysburg to Iraq Bodies in Conflict: From Gettysburg to Iraq Curated by Laura Bergin ’17 Table of Contents 5 Foreword and Acknowledgments Shannon Egan 7 Introduction Essays 12 Edwin Forbes, Gallant Attack of 150 Pennsylvania Bucktails, 1862 14 Stereoscopic Cards from the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 16 Feed a Fighter, 1918 18 Scrapbook of Lt. Francis M. Tompkins, c. 1917-1921 20 World War II Posters, c.1939-1945 22 Photographic album of Marmaduke N. Dickson, Jr., c. 1945 24 Yue Nan Bi Sheng, Mei Di Bi Bai (Vietnam will triumph, the American Imperialists will be defeated), c. 1965 26 Vietnam Summer, 1967 28 Photographs by Stephen H. Warner, c. 1970-1971 30 Wafaa Bilal, The Ashes Series: Chair, 2003-2013 3 4 Foreword and Acknowledgments The exhibition Bodies in Conflict: From Gettysburg to Iraq not only conveys an ambitious geographic and historical range, but also reflects the sensitivity, ambition, and thoughtfulness of its curator, Laura Bergin ’17. In examining how the human figure is represented in prints and photographs of modern war and political conflict, Laura considers how journalistic photographs, artistic interpretations, and other visual documentation of conflict and its aftermath compare between wars and across historical periods. Specific objects include a print and photographs from the Civil War, propaganda posters from World Wars I and II, photographs and a protest poster from the Vietnam War, and a large-scale photograph of a reconstructed journalistic image of Saddam Hussein’s palace by Iraqi-born contemporary artist Wafaa Bilal. Taken together, the works in the exhibition make a profound political and humanitarian statement about suffering, heroism, death, compassion, and appeals to nationalism throughout wars over the last 150 years. She does not simply lead the viewer from one historical period to the next, but challenges the viewer to make more complicated connections across countries and conflicts to consider issues of gendered and nationalistic identities, as well as concerns about memorialization and historical memory. Laura pays close attention to differences in visual representation; specifically, she is careful to acknowledge and question the seemingly objective medium of photography in contrast to more abstract or expressionist prints on display in the exhibition. In every instance, Laura analyzes the compositional details of each work to understand both its intent and impact. Her introductory essay outlines her broader theoretical interests and methodological approach, while the individual catalogue essays that follow consider the ethical and political factors that motivated each artist in the making and meaning of the works. The exhibition and this catalogue reflect Laura’s keen awareness of the historical, socio-political issues as well as an insight into the aesthetic concerns of each artist. It has been a pleasure to serve as Laura’s mentor in The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Summer Scholar Program, a highly competitive and gener- ously funded opportunity for select Gettysburg College students to complete innovative research projects incorporating the digital humanities. Laura has benefited greatly from the guidance and support of the entire Mellon Summer Scholar Program community. First, many thanks are due to Maureen Forrestal, Assistant Provost for Student Scholarly Engagement and Dean of Fellowships, Scholarships and Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, for her incredible support of the project and for overseeing all of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Summer Scholars. Additional thanks are given to Paula Baer, the Provost’s Office at Gettysburg College, and the other students and mentors who participated in this program. Laura’s academic career at Gettysburg College has been ambitious and thoroughly interdisciplinary. As Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies from 2012 through 2015, I oversaw the approval of Laura’s self-designed major titled Images of Conflict. The IDS Committee was incredibly impressed with her 5 organization and self-motivation as well as with both the interdisciplinarity and the academic focus of her topic. She is taking classes in Anthropology, Globalization Studies, Journalism, and Latin American Studies to complete her major, and each of these courses provides Laura with diverse perspec- tives and a thorough understanding of how conflict affects and is represented in various cultures. Special thanks are due to the current Chair of Interdis- ciplinary Studies, Professor Kevin Wilson; Laura’s advisor for the major, Professor Amy Evrard; and the entire Interdisciplinary Studies Program committee for continuing to shepherd Laura’s major as she nears gradu- ation from Gettysburg College. I am especially grateful for Professor Evrard’s support of this project and careful editing of this catalogue. This exhibition would not have been possible without the tireless work of and continued collaboration with Carolyn Sautter, Director of Special Collections and College Archives, and Molly Reynolds, Preparator and Digital Schol- arship Assistant for Schmucker Art Gallery and Special Collections. Laura has worked determinedly on creating two digital platforms for experiencing the content of this exhibition, and the digital project benefited tremendously from the assistance of R.C. Miessler, Systems Librarian, and Catherine Perry, Digital Projects Coordinator and Collections Manager. Additional thanks are due to Mary Wootton, Conservator, for her perfect book cradles, and to Amy Lucadamo, College Archivist. I am always appreciative of the logistical and organizational support of Leslie Casteel, Administrative Academic Assistant for Schmucker Art Gallery. We are incredibly grateful for Jim Pierce’s expert framing of the works in the exhibition and the gorgeous graphic design of Ayumi Yasuda. Special gratitude is given to Robin Wagner, Dean of Musselman Library, for her endless support and early encouragement of Laura’s application to the Mellon Summer Scholars Program. I also thank artist Wafaa Bilal for his lecture on his profound career and first-hand experi- ences with the conflict in the Middle East in conjunction with this exhibition. We would also like to thank special donors for making the acquisition and display of the works possible. For the donation of Stephen H. Warner Collection and their continued relationship with Gettysburg College, we express our gratitude to Warner’s family. Wafaa Bilal’s Chair from The Ashes Series was acquired through the generosity of the Michael Birkner ’72 and Robin Wagner Art and Acquisitions Fund, with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the Middle East and Islamic Studies program at Gettysburg College. — Shannon Egan, Ph.D. Director, Schmucker Art Gallery Mentor, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Summer Scholars Program 6 Bodies in Conflict: From Gettysburg to Iraq Laura Bergin ’17 With photographs, prints, and posters from the American Civil War, World War I, World War II,