Post-Modern Art

December 12, 2022

Post-Modern Art

Post-Modern Art is more than just one style of art and is characterized by the intentional application of previous styles of art, mixed with new styles and an eclectic mix of media. The focus of much of post-modern art centers around anti-establishment, anti-authoritarianism, and forms of protest. Anti-war art became popular during the Vietnam era and continues today. For this blog, I will be focusing on art created during the Vietnam war and art related to the Vietnam war.

One of the most interesting things I learned in my research was that, in 1966, the Army started a Combat Arts Program for soldiers serving in Vietnam. These soldiers were given free artistic range to create whatever art they saw fit while serving in the war. Many soldiers signed on to serve because of this program. There were a total of 9 teams of 5 artists. Each team took turns rotating into the field over the years. Not surprisingly, the result was quite comprehensive and varied.

Tiffany Chung

The first artist I'd like to explore is Tiffany Chung. While these paintings were created in 2017, many years after the end of the Vietnam War, I felt her work is relevant to understanding how the war continues to influence artists today, and the lasting impact felt by those affected. Chung's exploration into the war and her subsequent creation of The Vietnam Exodus Living History Project: The Exodus, The Camps, and The Half-Lived Lives began on a personal note. Chung's father served in the war when she was just a child. He was taken prisoner in 1971 and served 14 years in a North Vietnamese Prison Camp. After he was released, her family immigrated to the United States. His experiences remained a mystery to Chung until she began this project and conducted interviews. She is a cartographer and archaeologist by trade, but considers herself to be an artist first and foremost. It is through her art that she tells the hidden stories of her childhood - the stories that were lost to official records but were very much real. The following two images are from her living history project.

Tiffany Chung, The Vietnam Exodus History Learning Project: the exodus, the camps and the half-lived lives, 2017, watercolor on paper. Courtesy the artist and Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York. The Vietnam Exodus History Learning Project is carried out in collaboration with Hồ Hưng, Huỳnh Quốc Bảo, Lê Nam Đy, Nguyễn Hoàng Long, Đặng Quang Tiến, Phạm Ái, Võ Châu, and Hoàng Vy. © Tiffany Chung

The faces of these children in this piece are fraught with sadness, confusion, and despair. It's hard to look at these children and not let it crush your heart given the context. Much as we are seeing in present day with Ukranian refugees migrating near and far, the same took place for Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam war. Entire generations of families migrated to other countries to escape the perils of the war raging in their home country. As you might imagine, this would be confusing for any child. Chung was one of these children and does an impeccable job of imparting these emotions to the viewer. The brush strokes are barely visible and it seems like it is more a photograph than a painting. Our eyes are drawn first to the little girl who seems to take center stage (Chung?) and then down the line to each child looking at us. They are sitting in a row and while we don't know exactly what is going on or what they are waiting for, their faces speak volumes. The muted tones here also impart a sense of melancholy.

Tiffany Chung, water dreamscape – the exodus, the camps and the half-lived lives, 2017, 15 watercolors on paper, 13.75 x 21.75 in, 35 x 55 cm (14 watercolors), 23.75 x 45 in, 60 x 114 cm (one watercolor). Image courtesy the artist and Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York.

Although we cannot see the faces of the subjects in this painting, it still evokes feelings of despair and sadness. We see the Vietnamese people clinging to the fence that was seemingly erected in the middle of a city street. It does not seem like they are in a rush to get through the gates - it seems more like they are observing what is happening on the other side. These people do not have bags with them, they appear to have relaxed stances, and one even seems to leisurely stroll behind the crowd and so it does not appear that they the ones who are migrating - but maybe they are on the other side of things. It seems that there is a serious undertone to what is happening. Once again, Chung's brush strokes are almost invisible and her work is almost photographic. Her lines on the fence are well-organized and meticulous and the cobblestone streets are well-done. The apartment building in the distance and surrounding buildings, along with the disappearing fence line reflect expert one-point perspective. Her composition of this scene is well-executed.

Paul MacWilliams

As I mentioned earlier, the Army created a Combat Arts Program in 1966. Paul MacWilliams, aka, Paul MAC Williams was one of those artists. In the first painting below, we see armed soldiers in the center of a field with flames raging in the distance. The clouds in the upper left corner appear to be black and billowy, signs of an ongoing battle. The scene is dismal and MacWilliams' use of color communicates a sense of danger to the viewer. In the second piece here by MacWilliams, we see an American soldier trudging through a field, flowers beneath his feet. He is armed, gun slung over his shoulder, magazines draped across his chest and around his waist. This one is left up to interpretation more so than the first piece. It doesn't appear that he is actively engaged in gunfight, but perhaps he is heading into it. His face is expressionless, he appears to be looking downward and is focused on getting to wherever he is needed. MacWilliams' brush strokes are evident in both pieces and it looks like we could feel the texture if we were to reach out and touch it.

Paul MacWilliams

Man/Ready, Vietnam, Date Unknown

Paul MacWilliams

Untitled, Date Unknown

Joe Kline

Joe Kline is an aviation artist who spent time serving as a pilot in Vietnam. His paintings are based on real-life experiences during his service. In Stairway to Heaven, we see a helicopter mid-air with the propellers whirring and hovering over a small clearing in the middle of the jungle. There is yellowish smoke in the distance and soldiers are scrambling and running to catch up to the ladder that is dangling out of the helicopters side door. We feel the sense of urgency from the soldiers as they scurry up the ladder to escape the battle waging in the background. Kline does an excellent job of creating a photographic depiction of this scene, complete with mountains in the distance.

In Have Guns, Will Travel, Kline again employs a photographic finesse to his work, this time showing an air assault being waged from a birds-eye view. There are two helicopters in this scene, the first at the forefront with active explosions and gunsmoke following behind. His use of color lets us know that the ground below has been pelted with bullets and is now on fire. The way the helicopter is tilted to one side and facing up leads us to believe they are just past the target and are exiting the mission. The war being waged below is in stark contrast to the sunny blue skies in the distance.