I reviewed “The Joe Bonham Project” @ Hyperallergic today. Curated by New Criterion managing editor James Panero, the exhibition comprises portraits of injured United States and coalition military personnel made by members of the International Society of War Artists and the Society of Illustrators who have served in the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq. Here’s an excerpt.
….As I looked at images of multiple amputees, my heart went out to the soldiers depicted and I appreciated both the illustrators� technical ability to evoke the injured soldiers� pain and loss and their desire to draw attention to the challenges facing wounded veterans. At the same time, lacking a compelling point of view other than empathy, the drawings don�t rise above the illustrative to examine deeper truths about the legacies of war…
Check out the entire article here.
“The Joe Bonham Project,” curated by James Panero, Storefront, Brooklyn, NY. Through September 18. Artists include Lance Corporal Robert Bates, USMC, Peter Buotte; CWO2 Michael D. Fay, USMC (retired), Jeffrey Fisher, Roman Genn, Bill Harris, Richard Johnson, and Victor Juhasz.
Thanks, albeit inadvertently, for recognizing the apolitical nature of the Joe Bonham Project.
I am curious how the work would compare not to other artist war commentators but to portraitists. It seems that the artists may be taking into account the feelings of their subjects in a way that Leon Golub might not.
Actually, I find these drawings oddly affecting in a way that wouldn't be possible with an obvious artistic statement about war.
Nice painting
wow wow, exellent painting dude.. very impressive