Art of Conflict

Some of the most powerful art in the world comes out of conflict. The Bayeux Tapestry is one such piece. I think this comes from a natural human instinct to report, record, and retell powerful and important moments to as many people as possible. It is easy to find inspiration to create such works, as conflict finds us every day everywhere. 

Consider the power of photography in war, especially since Vietnam. Vietnam was described as the first televised war, but that broadcast contained some images that could be considered art. Cameras were constantly shooting, capturing some of the most brutal moments of war. Those images spread across the world, and Vietnam is now known as a devastatingly brutal war, difficult to wage and difficult to endure.

What about WWII? I remember being taught about World War II in high school history classes, and even in some of my college history courses, and it was always regarded with some element of reverence, as if it were a noble war. Not to suggest that WWII or any of the soldiers fighting in it were anything less than heroes, but why might there be a more general understanding of WWII as noble and heroic than Vietnam. Obviously political differences have a lot to do with the perceptions of these wars. But I think that it also has something to do with media and art. Compare the image above, one of the most famous and important images of Vietnam, with the image below, one of the most important images of World War II, and think about how each one makes you feel.

This is especially present in my mind in regards to the riots in Oakland of the past few weeks. On New Years Day, an Oakland man was shot and killed by a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officer. The man was being arrested, and was clearly laying flat on his stomach with his hands in plain view when he was shot in the back. Multiple cell phone cameras captured what's being described by some as an execution and the video of the event has been widely circulated on the internet. Riots have broken out in Oakland. I've been watching a lot of Bay Area photographers on flickr, especially Thomas Hawk, and some very powerful shots are being taken, capturing very well the tension that hangs in the air in the Bay Area right now.