Shocked
& Awed
Editor's Note : Right or wrong, we went to war against Iraq. And now the Iraqi children speak about their experiences and points of view of that war. Here at KotaPress, we have stated our position before: We do not support anything that threatens or kills children -- the dictator *and* the ousting both kill innocent children -- neither is a "winner". So we are offering a few words from the exhibit titled, "Shocked and Awed" which is on full display at:
http://www.puffinroom.org/iraq/menu.html
And what can I say? I am stunned, and yet not surprised, all at the same time. The art of children tells us the truth. And the following are a few words from the curator of this exhibit:
Curator's
Statement
Since its inception the
Puffin Room has hosted a
multitude of exhibitions
dealing with issues of world
peace and social justice.
Documenting Lifestyles brought
together Israeli and Palestinian
teenagers whose photographic
essays attempted to straddle
the gulf of hatred between
their cultures. The Weavings
of War exhibited textiles
documenting warfare in Peru,
Afghanistan and Vietnam,
where violence was woven
into the fabric of life.
The Spirit Lives and Shouts
From the Wall presented
compelling images and posters
from the Spanish Civil War.
When Will They Ever Learn
juxtaposed children's drawings
from Kosovo, Bosnia and
Croatia with drawings by
refugee children from Spain
in 1938.
With Shocked and Awed we again present children's drawings. These drawings by Iraqi children were created in Baghdad only weeks after the intense bombardment of the city ceased. Through innocent eyes, these drawings depict the madness of adults and the horror and terror the children witnessed.
The drawings display a wide range of technique and imagery. Several are rich in symbolism while others are simple matchstick drawings of fighting soldiers. One ten-year-old boy's pencil drawing of a U.S. Marine tank is done with the accuracy and precision of an automotive designer. In another the sun is crying and written is "Wher's the Water." Yet another states succinctly, "We are Not Gilty." Many of the drawings illustrate the map of Iraq with a heart in its center. Many of the girls' drawings curiously depict a weeping blonde girl surrounded by carnage and destruction. Some of the drawings welcome the U.S. troops and their ouster of the tyrant Saddam Hussein.
It is my hope that many people will see these images to better understand that there are no 'smart bombs.' Children and innocents have been killed, crippled, maimed and orphaned by this war. War is not a football game. There are no winners. War represents the worst of human nature.
Carl Rosenstein
Executive Director, The
Puffin Room
July 20, 2003
See the full exhibit of "Shocked and Awed" on display at:
