Matt Kenyon\u2019s 2007 piece \u201cNotepad\u201d at first glimpse appears to be a stack of legal pads.\u00a0 However, he uses this mundane object to bring attention to the civilian deaths in the Iraqi war, printing the names of these loses, as well as the location and date, in microprint.\u00a0 The inclusion of this work in the State of Emergency art exhibition explores a different definition of disaster, one that is not natural but manmade. \u00a0It also explores the purpose of art as a tool for social dissent.<\/p>\n
The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 brought enormous suffering to the Iraqi people.\u00a0 It was a controversial decision at the time, and continues to be an emotionally charged issue for many Americans.\u00a0 In \u201cNotepad,\u201d Kenyon highlights this overlooked disaster that continues to claim many lives. \u00a0The role of the media in bringing a disaster to the national conscience cannot be overstated.\u00a0 This is apparent in the deaths of Iraqi civilians: the media will headline the death of an American solider in Iraq, but then bury a small news bulletin about the large-scale civilian deaths in an interior page.\u00a0 This American-centric perspective of the Iraqi war minimizes the true cost of this war. \u00a0By highlighting this, \u201cNotepad\u201d is a form of protest.<\/p>\n
This piece of art grapples with the purpose of art as a tool for social dissident.\u00a0 As discussed in class, disasters serve to expose the fissures in society.\u00a0 \u201cNotepad\u201d brings to light an aspect of American society that the government would rather remain marginal. \u00a0\u201cNotepad\u201d performs a different role from many other works depicting disaster; it is an act of protest against American policy.\u00a0 Additionally, this piece provokes active protest, in asking the gallery visitors to write letters to congressmen on the notepaper. This explores a different way of looking at disaster, in critiquing government response or responsibility, and pushing for policy change.<\/p>\n
\u201cNotepad\u201d insinuates that through the act of acknowledging the dead, it allows them to recover the dignity lost in an anonymous death. This is an idea that is also seen in the American Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC as well as in Ai Weiwei\u2019s Namelist, also presented in the State of Emergency gallery.<\/p>\n
This piece is different from many of the other pieces on display in the State of Emergency gallery in that it deals with a different definition of a disaster, one that is not a natural disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake. \u00a0It portrays an act of war, and the civilian deaths that result from this war.\u00a0 \u00a0In doing this, \u201cNotepad\u201d deals with a controversial subject, one that the American government wishes to minimize.<\/p>\n
The way that disaster is portrayed in art is one way of looking at the myriad problems and changes that are produced during a disaster. \u00a0\u201cNotepad\u201d addresses one aspect of the Iraqi war, the loss of dignity of the victims and its restoration through recognition and remembrance, and implies an American civic responsibility to respond to disaster.\u00a0 The way in which the victims are remembered is a crucial aspect of disaster study, as it can expose the political climate and act as a litmus test for national sentiment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Matt Kenyon\u2019s 2007 piece \u201cNotepad\u201d at first glimpse appears to be a stack of legal pads.\u00a0 However, he uses this mundane object to bring attention to the civilian deaths in the Iraqi war, printing the names of these loses, as well as the location and date, in microprint.\u00a0 The inclusion of this work in the … <\/p>\n