TRAUMA & METAMORPHOSIS II: ART AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) GALLERY ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY 1 Locate Honorable Discharge by Scott Niestadt and Jar of Mars by Mike Helbing, which are exhibited together. Notice the use of the food imagery metaphor used in each piece. Why do you suppose both of these artists chose to communicate their messages in this way? Do you think the artists/soldiers feel they are meat, or does society seem to view those in the military that way? Think of what it is about meat that people could relate to people in the military specifically. Can you understand or even agree with this metaphor? Why or why not? Other things to consider: a.) Do you think the artists are making different statements with these two pieces, or are they saying the same thing? b.) Mike Helbing had this to say about Jar of Mars: [It] encapsulates my feeling of being trapped in a world out of my control. The little green plastic soldiers of my youth are inter-spaced with a rope of pickled bologna in an upsidedown jar under the control of Mars, the god of war. Like the Cyclops, Mars will reach in when hungry and pick one of us....Licking his lips, Mars will march on until the urge strikes again. We in the jar can do nothing but wait and hope he passes by. Is the kernel of this statement echoed in Honorable Discharge? Think in terms of the group of soldiers in the jar and the individual in Niestadt’s piece. c.) Helbing’s statement references randomness and luck. Do these concepts seem applicable to Honorable Discharge as well? Related research/writing topic: Read passages in mythological texts (such as Homer’s The Odyssey, The Iliad, or a Greek/Roman mythology book) on Mars and/or the Cyclops. Analyze the embodiment of war and all it entails in the individual god Mars: what type of personality must he have? what powers and traits must he have or lack to precisely and completely personify war? What is his relationship with man like, i.e., can one negotiate with Mars, or strike a deal with him that Mars could keep? For the Cyclops: the concept of luck versus wit and strategy to stay alive is one that many veterans say is often due more to the former than the latter. In this respect, the Cyclops is a very appropriate symbol for random violence and good or bad luck. What about his one eye—what can this say about the Cyclops’ personality, and about war, i.e. limitations, brute strength? The Cyclops tend to sheep, which often symbolize innocence, or a blind group mentality. Explore the relative safety the sheep have with the Cyclops—why are they safe from the Cyclops’ brutality? What does this say about the Cyclops? civilians’ innocence of war? Can you find any significance or symbolism behind the combat-wearied men using the sheep to hide their escape? ACTIVITY 2 Frank Dahmer, Crossing: Besides possibly being marked for death, for what other reasons could the artist have singledout the red soldier? Keep in mind the name of the piece—it is not “THE Crossing”—it is an action that is being playedout—the soldiers are in the process of crossing, rather than being at a crossing. Think of the phrase “crossing over,” or any other expressions that leap to mind. How else can these phrases or this action be applied to the piece? ACTIVITY 3 Look around the exhibit’s galleries and note the images of landscapes and foliage in the artwork. For example, in Payback at A-3 1967 by Don Usey, the background consists of a pattern, the repetition of leaf shapes and the less-defined denseness of the foliage. In Goodbye by David Knight, however, there is a certain amount of individualized detail, the foliage is lacy in appearance, and each leaf has had special attention given to it by the artist. Why might the artists have used more or less detail in their works? Is the background an important part of the pieces you selected, or not? ACTIVITY 4 Contrast the terrain and conditions the Vietnam Veterans fought in with those the soldiers in Iraq are fighting in. If you wish, list the words that would be accurate descriptions of each of the countries’ differences in terms of climate, terrain, and what they could mean in terms of fighting tactics, etc. An example: being in the jungles nurtured ideal conditions for ambushes. The landscape will really shape not only how one fights in a war; it can also shape how one remembers the country and the battles they fought there.		TEACHER PACKET CONTENTS What PTSD Is History of PTSD Whom to Contact For Help or More Information For Further Reading Gallery Activities Bibliography