Artist causing fuss with 'Soldier' billboards
Suzanne Opton's intriguing "Soldier" billboards, now popping up across the country, are receiving predictably mixed reactions. The ads are part of an art project by Opton, who's been photographing U.S. soldiers upon their return from Iraq and Afghanistan. The images look rather ghoulish, but while the soldiers look dead, they're actually alive. Opton insists the images are meant to be artistic, not political, but that seems willfully naive. They engage a topic that's under intense debate and has far-reaching legislative and social consequences—it doesn't get much more political than that. We're not trying to tell Opton how to do her job, but if you want to provoke people, then provoke them. |
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October 31, 2008 in Arts, Kiefaber, Politics, U.S. Army | Permalink |
Comments
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I believe this is a very nice iniciative. As I live far away from USA, I don't know exactly how I should feel looking at them. But I think it's a very beatiful work, as she gives us a different point of view of the war.
See ya.
Posted by: Adriana D. | Nov 3, 2008 2:15:34 PM
I believe this is a very nice iniciative. As I live far away from USA, I don't know exactly how I should feel looking at them. But I think it's a very beautiful work, as she gives us a different point of view of the war.
See ya.
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Posted by: goolloog | Nov 9, 2008 5:02:38 AM
While I don't agree with Opton's claim that these billboards aren't at all political, I have to give her credit for knowing how to advertise herself. Whether people are saying positive or negative things about her art, at least they are talking and creating a buzz. I wonder if Opton thought about how people who have negative reactions to these billboards might react as they are sitting in traffic staring at them? I don't agree with the message behind the billboards (at least the way I'm perceiving them) but all in all it's a smart way to drive traffic to an artist's website or cause.
Posted by: meg | Nov 20, 2008 10:24:26 PM
