State Terrorism
- Mixed Media
-
38 x 54 in
(96.52 x 137.16 cm)
- Johanna Vogelsang
Thank you to the Eyerman family--artist Johanna Vogelsang’s daughter Kirsten Eyerman, her granddaughter Kyra Eyerman, and her son-in-law Edward Eyerman--for the generous donation of this work.
Also, thank you to the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism for the generous grant to mount this exhibit of works by Johanna Vogelsang dealing with Social Justice.
The views expressed in this work are solely those of the artist, and do not reflect the views of Hudson County Community College, the Hudson County Community College Foundation, anyone working at this college, or any local, state or government organization.
The press reports from the 1945-46 Nuremberg War Crimes Trials after World War II, astonished people all over the world because the Nazis—who had perpetrated horrific inhumane acts—testified, almost to a man, that they were not responsible because they were, “just obeying orders.”
The larger text on this artwork reads, “Science does not construct thermonuclear devices and poison gases, scientists do. The church did not burn heretics at the stake, Christians did. The Soviet Union did not crush the Czech Revolt in 1965, Russian soldiers in Russian tanks did. Germany did not exterminate the Jews, Germans did. America did not commit atrocities in Vietnam, Americans did.” Pictures on this mixed media work add more countries to the sentences above, including Argentina and El Salvador, places where humans have committed atrocities.
In this text, the artist raises the issue of responsibility. Where does individual responsibility begin and end? Are individuals responsible for atrocity if they “just obey orders”? If not, then who is responsible for atrocities? Is the State responsible? How do we educate people to be responsible for individual and collective actions?
- Created: 1983
- Current Location: 2 Enos Place - 3rd Floor
- Collections: Art that Includes Writing, Mixed Media, Portrait or Figurative, The Totalitarian State, Works by Women