Fluxus Box

In process picture

Final Piece 

"The Hurt Locker"

Clay, acrylic paint, wood, dirt, wire, leather, paper, cloth, glue

4" by 12"

Artist Statement - The Hurt Locker

I wanted to convey the horrifying reality that this specific movie pertains. The outside of the box is a clean, plain wooden box with a blue piece of fabric covering the top. The fabric has a bloody hand on it. This aspect of war is simple and straight forward. I used this aspect to convey some of the meaning delivered all throughout the movie. Death. Many soldiers die in war and are displayed in a box covered in an American flag for citizens to admire their heroic efforts.

The inside of the box is split down the center with objects on the left and a landscape on the other side. The concept expressed is that while any one object may fall into a separate category, the objects are still a part of the collective whole, the soldier. The landscape demonstrated inside of the box is a maze filled with sand. This maze demonstrates the game of luck and skill the soldiers have to practice in order to get to point A to B without stepping on an explosive.

The items inside the box represent multiple emotions a soldier pertains throughout the film. The use of wood and natural sand is a representation of the landscape and setting of the film, making use of a desert environment. The black house represents a paradox. It is a home, so one would think the structure represents safety and comfort, but for the soldiers, going home is the opposite. They are so used to the war scene, that when they come home, it is just an empty building for them. The dissembled pieces of body parts laying around the box represent all of the injuries and death the soldiers go through. To a regular being, missing a limb is a huge deal, but to a warrior, they patch it up and keep on fighting.

The interpretations from these items are endless and their meanings lead to a greater message of the piece: war is a serious place, despite what we may think we know about war, we all have our own connections and views.




Research -