wwii combat photographs
Over the next few months I'll be working on a project at the museum involving WWI art. The paintings are of men who received awards and medals during the war. The paintings are pretty incredible. Most artwork depicting war is. There's something about the colors and brushstrokes that convey more feeling and emotion than a photo can.
The Military continues the tradition of combat art, although the soldier/artist is becoming more and more hard to find. The following New York Times article talks about the Marine Corps Combat Art Program in Quantico, Virginia, considered one of the best. Like similar programs in the other branches of the Military, this program began in WWII, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but while the other branches scaled back their programs after Vietnam, the Marine Corps Combat Art Program continued to document the overseas conflicts, including the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Today the program employs only one artist, Sergeant Kristopher J. Battles (awesome last name, btw). The paintings from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan are incredibly moving and definitely tell a different story than photos in the news. In his oil sketch above, you can really see and feel the Marines' exhaustion. Retired Chief Warrant Officer Michael D. Fay, former Marine artist and mentor to Battles, also documented the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through art. You can read about his work and link to another New York Times article about Fay on my Blog here. Both artists also work in the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, constructing exhibits for the museum.
I think combat art is incredibly important for historical documentation and conveying the emotional story of war. War may not be pretty, but there are beautiful moments captured in these drawings and paintings.
New York Times Marine Corps Combat Art Program
Over the next few months I'll be working on a project at the museum involving WWI art. The paintings are of men who received awards and medals during the war. The paintings are pretty incredible. Most artwork depicting war is. There's something about the colors and brushstrokes that convey more feeling and emotion than a photo can.
The Military continues the tradition of combat art, although the soldier/artist is becoming more and more hard to find. The following New York Times article talks about the Marine Corps Combat Art Program in Quantico, Virginia, considered one of the best. Like similar programs in the other branches of the Military, this program began in WWII, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but while the other branches scaled back their programs after Vietnam, the Marine Corps Combat Art Program continued to document the overseas conflicts, including the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Today the program employs only one artist, Sergeant Kristopher J. Battles (awesome last name, btw). The paintings from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan are incredibly moving and definitely tell a different story than photos in the news. In his oil sketch above, you can really see and feel the Marines' exhaustion. Retired Chief Warrant Officer Michael D. Fay, former Marine artist and mentor to Battles, also documented the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through art. You can read about his work and link to another New York Times article about Fay on my Blog here. Both artists also work in the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, constructing exhibits for the museum.
I think combat art is incredibly important for historical documentation and conveying the emotional story of war. War may not be pretty, but there are beautiful moments captured in these drawings and paintings.
New York Times Marine Corps Combat Art Program