This artwork examines the idea of peace and war. This artwork is autobiographical, for in my childhood I played war games in the woods with the neighborhood children during the Vietnam War conflict. My knowledge of the Vietnam War was limited, we had a neighbor who came back from the war in 1971 with severe injuries. Another neighbor was a family of “hippies” who provided me with a tie-dye T-shirt with a large white peace sign on the front, this was my favorite shirt. I would play war on weekends wearing my peace tie-dye shirt carrying a plastic Mattel M-16 Marauder rifle.
The steel is a freight door from the Wamsutta Mills that had produced products for the U.S. Military since the 1860’s. The business ceased operations in 2002. My great-great-grandfather and great-grand mother worked
at the Wamsutta Mills in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
at the Wamsutta Mills in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
This piece resides in a private art collection in Seattle, Washington.
