Blog Post #8: Mid or Post Modern Blog

 Mid-Modern Art: The Vietnam War

    The mid-modern period was grim for countless in the U.S. and around the world. World War II was finally over and many could breathe a sigh of relief, but countless lives were lost and their mourning would continue. On top of this, the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union was building tension by the day, a bubble than was expected to pop at some point and cause irreversible devastation. This fear and the fear of communism intertwined to create what we now know as the Cold War.

    Communism began to spread in the East during this time, largely led by its rise in China shortly after WWII and its ongoing presence to the north in the Soviet Union. Under President John F. Kennedy, the United States established the 'domino theory:' if one southeast Asian nation falls to communism, more will follow. This created an increased sense of urgency to fight communism at its roots before it could grow beyond control, and as Vietnam began to fold from within to communist coups, the United States had no choice but to intervene in what ultimately became the Vietnam War. The U.S. was fully involved in the Vietnam War in 1965, approximately halfway through the war's lifetime. 

    History lesson aside, the Vietnam War was a difficult period nestled within another already difficult period in the United States. Tensions with the Soviet threat raged on and the public was not fully on board with the U.S. decision to intervene in Vietnam. This led to many protests across the country.

    

Vietnam II, Leon Golub, 1973, acrylic on canvas

 

   Vietnam II by Leon Golub is a take on the anti-war front near the end of the escalation in Vietnam. The piece itself is more than three meters tall and twelve meters wide; the scale to which cannot be fairly presented in this image. This size was in an effort to make the work prominent and visible. The painting can be broken into two sections; the United States forces establishing their ground on the left, and the terrified Vietnamese locals fleeing their homes on the right. Golub uses a very unique style with visible brush strokes. The army men appear almost excited and energized to attack, symbolizing what many felt was the U.S. flexing their powers, while the fear on the faces of the locals is clear, especially the boy in the front.

Le Combat VII, Leon Golub, 1963, acrylic on canvas

    Le Combat VII is an earlier work by Golub before the United States fully entered the Vietnam War. While not cited as directly related to the tension overseas, this piece illustrates Golub's views on war prior to his piece protesting the Vietnam War. Using his same style from Vietnam II, Golub illustrates a scene with two men fighting. The dark colors and red portray an overall dismal emotion from the painting. 

Wounded, Robert C. Knight, 1966

Nursing, Robert C. Knight 1966

    Robert C. Knight was an American solider in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Wounded and Nursing were created during his employment, showing some of his firsthand experiences overseas. Wounded is a beautiful piece that unfortunately was never completed. In the piece, we see a person lying in pain as their wounds are tended to. The coloring of the body is what makes this really interesting, as it's almost space-like with the beautiful blues and purples, possibly drawing inspiration from the night sky above Knight as he drew. Nursing depicts a local woman nursing her newborn, representing the human nature that still exists during the difficult times of war. This pieces leaves color to the imagination, but the line work strengthens the simplicity of the piece by Knight and maintains the emotional connection between mother and child.

Swamp Patrol, Roger Blum, 1966

Attack at Twilight, Roger Blume, 1966

    Roger Blume is a final artist with prominent works during the Vietnam War. I haven't been able to determine if Blume was deployed in Vietnam himself, or just used pictures as references, but his work leads one to believe that he was there during these combat-driven scenes. Swamp Patrol exhibits the swampland that many associate with parts of Vietnam. The leaves are all dark and shadowed from the central light shining down on the water. As a viewer, you almost feel hidden, watching the soldiers wade through the swamp, similar to the stealth of the Vietnamese army. Attack at Twilight shows a much more open scene, as a soldier scurries across field as day meets night. The sky is the centerpiece of this painting, as Blume uses coloring to make the transition feel immediate and literal. Black and purple on one side, red and orange on the other. At first glance, the red and orange appear to be fire, taking hostage the two isolated buildings. 

    Overall, the Vietnam War was an overlooked period in American history, partially because the efforts to prevent communism from rising to power in Vietnam were unsuccessful. This period also saw a lot of raw emotion from the average American though. Reality wasn't pretty and appreciation for family and loved ones was strong. 

    Thank you for reading.

Works Cited

Cotter, Holland. “Vietnam, through the Eyes of Artists.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Apr. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/arts/design/vietnam-war-american-art-review-smithsonian.html.

Smee, Sebastian. “How the Vietnam War Changed Art Forever.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 20 Mar. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/how-the-vietnam-war-changed-art-forever/2019/03/18/619eff44-4743-11e9-90f0-0ccfeec87a61_story.html.

Tate. “'Vietnam II', Leon Golub, 1973.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/golub-vietnam-ii-t13702.

“Vietnam War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.

“Vietnam War Protests.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-protests.