The Vietnam War and Mid Modern Art

The Vietnam War was the longest war in American history and was a result of the First Indochina War between France and the communist forces known as Viet Minh. During the time period of 1954-1975, the United States and members of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization joined the forces of the Republic of South Vietnam against the communist forces composed of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. This war was known as the longest war in American history (before 2002), but also “the only war America ever lost” which still creates controversy when the US makes political or military decisions. There is no doubt that the Vietnam War created a substantial impact on those who were involved. This was greatly reflected in art from American and Vietnamese artists between the 1960’s and 1970’s.

In June of 1966, the United States Army Art Program established the Army Vietnam Combat Artists Program. This program was created to have pictorial records of US Army activities by soldier-artists detailing their experiences during the war. The nine Combat Artistic Teams (CAT’s) consisted of five soldier-artists who spent 60 days of temporary duty. During this time they collected information and began preliminary sketches of US army activities. After this time was complete they were transferred to Hawaii for an additional 75 days to finalize their work. All the artists were given artistic freedom and were highly encouraged to use their individual styles with all their pieces.

Roger Blum was part of this program as member of CAT I and served in Vietnam from August 15th to December 15th. Blum risked his life to capture and illustrate the scenes from war combat and created paintings that speak for themselves.

Blum created his work Attack at Twilight in 1966 while in Hawaii and was inspired by his first view of a burning hut or “hooch”. What grabbed my attention first was the colors used in the sky to emphasize his reaction to the scene. The cooler tones create a sense of foreboding energy from the horizon. Around the huts the sky appears to be daylight and baby blue, but as the sky draws away from the hut shades of red are blended into the blues. The use of red can symbolize the violent destruction taking place in the distance. Blum put more detail in the soldier in the foreground than he did with the huts in the background, this creates a positive and negative space that adds depth to the painting. The burning trees and hut look like they’re being swept up into the sky from the brush strokes Blum used which generates the appearance of movement in this painting. The colors of this painting appeal to me, but I don’t think I would own a painting of war. If this piece were to be displayed in my house, I would feel sorrow every time I looked at the burning hut and thought about what might have been lost as a result. I can see this painting being displayed in a museum commemorating war because this painting is thought provoking and serious.

This piece is named Swamp Patrol and is another piece by Roger Blum created in 1966 while in Hawaii. Combat in Vietnam stretched out across multiple different landscapes such as jungles, rice paddies, and swamps. In this painting four soldiers are wading through a waist deep swamp while on guard. Blum chose to use only two colors, green and blue hues, then used varying intensities of those colors. The use of only two colors allows for minimal distractions in the painting. The colors blend each aspect of the painting together to camouflage the soldiers into the environment. Blum created perspective by placing the soldiers in the background and having the foliage in the foreground drape around the border of the painting. This allows for an audience to feel as though part of the painting and that they’re witnessing the patrol as it happens. It’s as if the soldiers are unaware of being watched which places them in a state of vulnerability. I think Blum wanted to capture one of the many feelings of being part of war, the feeling of being vulnerable. I like this painting but I don’t think I would own a copy of it. I feel nervous for the soldiers as if this scene is a “calm before the storm”.

This piece, Looking Down the Trail, was created by James Pollock in 1967. Pollock is another artist from the Vietnam Combat Artists and was a member of CAT IV after being drafted into the US Army in 1966. In this scene a soldier is wading in chest deep water, and I chose this painting because I think it contrasts the painting preceding this one (by Blum) pretty well. This is because the colors used in this painting are more melancholic from the use of browns incorporated at different intensities.  I recoil when I think about the swamp Pollock must have gone through to create this scene, the water looks anything but inviting. Pollock uses a more organic shape approach to the jungle to emphasize the thickness and growth of the jungle and swamp. The line or separation between the water and the foliage is blurry and blends together which makes the portrayal of this environment dark and omniscient. The soldier is alone, this could reflect brief moments when a soldier might feel isolated from the rest of the world while serving in the war. If I were in that soldier’s position, I would feel afraid of what could be lurking in the jungle – human or animal. I would not own a copy of this work, but I do think it should be displayed in a museum. What happens in history isn’t meant to be forgotten, and paintings and artwork have the power to share a glimpse in time.

James Pollock also created this piece called Waiting Interrogation in 1967 while in Hawaii with the CAT IV. The capturing of soldiers as prisoners is inevitable during war and has always been problematic. According to Evan J. Wallach, an expert on war crimes and the law of war, the way a country treats or mistreats captured enemy prisoners is a key gauge of its values as a society and its views of international human rights (https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?id=236087). In this painting two soldiers appear to be blindfolded and stripped of their uniform, backpack, and all their weapons. Again, Pollock uses different hues of brown with the addition of blue. The colors he used makes it seem like the environment they’re being held in is gritty and unkempt as if prisoners don’t deserve to have a pristine waiting place. This was done with watercolor so the lines between each element in the piece are almost blended, but Pollock took care to draw focus on the two soldiers. Pollock gives value to the soldiers by contrasting the lighter colors of their clothing with the darker colors in the background. In the background it almost seems like there are shadows of people, but that could also just be an illusion created by the artist’s brush stroke. I think Pollock chose to keep a blurry background because there isn’t much to see for a soldier when blindfolded, one can only imagine what is surrounding them. When looking at this painting I feel fearful for the outcome of the prisoners. To wait for an interrogation has to be completely nerve racking, especially with one of their five senses cut off. I would not own a copy of this piece, but like its counterparts, I think it is deserving of recognition in a museum.

Kenneth J. Scowcroft was part of CAT III and painted The Innocent in 1967 during his time in Hawaii. This painting is unlike the other paintings I chose because of the sharper detailing and overall cohesion of the piece. I think this piece holds so much power and meaning that can be seen by the expression of the lady. Snowcroft created texture in the lady’s face to make her appear aged or as if she has spent time outside under the sun. All her emotion of sorrow and heartache is flooding from her eyes. Her mouth remains still, she isn’t crying out which I find surprising. She is rather quietly grieving the loss of the baby in her arms. Scowcroft eliminates the perspective of space by not including background elements and only having the two characters at the foreground. Nothing else matters in this piece besides the emotional consequences of an innocent life being taken. With the exception of the skin tones, black was the color used in majority to create a dark mood for the painting. The baby is wearing a white t-shirt which is symbolic in reflecting the innocence of the baby. When looking at this piece I feel the grief that this lady must have felt, both of them aren’t deserving of what took place. Her facial expression is so attention gripping, I think Scowcroft was entirely successful at illustrating the despair that comes with war.

This painting was created by Robert C. Knight in 1966 in Hawaii while he was a member of CAT I. This piece is very striking to me, because I am unable to determine if the painting was finished or not. If Knight intended for this to be the final product, then it appears that he incorporated negative space around the lower body. The lines for the blanket covering the man are implied, Knight must have done this to add more focus towards the wounded man. He used low intensity colors for the body and the cooler tones add to the aspect of the man being hurt. The color blue emphasizes the pain he might be in, or that he feels completely calm and sedated. By the proportions of his body parts it seems like the man is malnourished and the war is taking a toll on him. I would feel helpless if I were to be in that man’s position. For any of those who were hurt and had to stay put in bed, I’m sure it would get frustrating to not be able to help your fellow soldiers. I like how Knight created the man to be the main focus so simply yet powerfully.

Works Cited:

“Vietnam Combat Artists Program.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Nov. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Combat_Artists_Program.

“James Pollock (artist).” Wikipedia. September 21, 2017. Accessed November 16, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Pollock_(artist).

“United States Army Art Program.” Wikipedia. November 08, 2017. Accessed November 16, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Art_Program.