September 9, 2007

How does the Binh Danh exhibit function as a testimony about the Viet Nam war and as a reflection of our current times? How does your impression of this exhibit compare to the views from Sontag?

Bin Danh’s exhibit pays homage to the Vietnam war, ultimately leaving a lasting legacy of pain and suffering on today’s aesthetic world. The photographs are naturally imprinted into the landscape, creating an almost organic account of those lost in the war. According to Danh, the process is an “elemental transmigration,” transforming ordinary leaves into a resurrection of lost souls. In his research, Danh thought about atoms and the concept of matter regenerating itself; for Danh, recognizing that matter never escaped the Earth allowed him to reach a “oneness” with nature, saying “the blood, sweat and urine become part of the landscape.” Every time one breathes, he breathes in the smoke and dust particles still lingering from war. In essence, this faded quality mirrors the faded memories of each fallen man. He uses the organic nature of the leaves and grass to reflect the similarly organic nature of death. While examining Danh’s work, the ambiguity of the grass prints conveys a sense of unity; the viewer’s inability to identify a specific man in these works symbolizes that the featured subjects can be any man-- any son-- lost at war. These pieces are a testament to everyone killed, whether white, black or Asian. As a reflection of our current times, these pieces try to de-emphasize the importance of the individual and instead, allow the viewer to feel the pain of every fallen man. In Danh’s speech reflecting upon his life and his artwork, he said that Americans, and society as a whole, often overlook death, not wanting to experience its pain. His creations counter this trend and force each person to look inside themselves and how the war affected the greater community. The exhibit has an even greater affect because it is reminiscent of the war being fought in Iraq, some even calling this war a “modern Vietnam.”

In Susan Sontag’s “The Image World,” she writes, “A photograph is not only an image..., an interpretation of the real; it is also a trace, something directly stenciled off the real, like a footprint or a death mask” (Pg. 350). Relating this quote to Danh’s exhibit, both Sontag and Danh believe photography extends past the black and white shades imprinted onto a paper, or for Danh, a leaf or blade of grass. Danh uses these organic materials in conjunction with photography because the images erected from Vietnam act just as a “footprint” from the past. When one imagines a footprint in the sand, he sees a specific design, a print that while unique, is universally classified as just a footprint. Like Danh’s works, his images are imprinted into the landscape of the natural earth; and, similar to the footprint, while every fallen man was unique, he ultimately represents a larger being. According to Sontag, a photograph confirms that something existed. Danh uses similar theology while creating his artwork, as he collects bona-fide artifacts and pictures used in his final product. Sontag writes, “And like all credible forms of lust, [photography] can not be satisfied” (Pg. 367). While listening to Danh’s explanation as to the meaning and motives behind his work, the audience understands that his craving for more artifacts will never cease to exist. Even though an exhibit shows at Lightwork, this is by no means an end to Danh’s aspirations that will likely continue through the rest of his artistic career. Both Danh and Sontag understand the importance of photography as an art form, for as Danh explores Vietnam through all different angles of this media, Sontag affirms that photography is merely “note taking on potentially everything in the world, from every possible angle” (Pg. 364).