I was just asked by another blogger if I am going to be carrying these
Dead Toy Soldiers by Ron English and Garage Works... initially I said no, because they make me sad and depressed about the loss of our troops overseas. I am personally against all wars we are currently conducting on foreign soil. I disagree fundamentally with the motivations behind all of those wars. I believe deep in my soul that all the geopolitical reasons the politicians give us to justify the wars are facades for our real motivation: poppy fields in Afghanistan (heroin) and oil fields in Iraq. In other words, money. I am deeply troubled by the deaths of American soldiers, and the citizens of all of those countries, that have occurred during my lifetime.
But then I realized that this type of collectible is indeed thought-provoking, and got me to think about these issues once again today. And as we all know, Ron English is a master at creating collectibles that force you to take sides, discuss, argue, disagree, emote... and in that sense these figures are very successful.
But I still struggle with selling an item like this- would that make me a bad person? Would that mean I am glorifying the deaths of American troops, or would it mean that I am trying to shed a light on hot-button issues that are poignant and relevant?
What's everyone think? Leave a comment!
You have a chance to sale a product that will promote disussion about a topic you care about. Selling them doesn't glorify war. But not selling them makes you culpable in white washing over what you believe. I will display my set beneath my bust of Abraham Obama.
ReplyDelete@Pretty How Town- I will most likely try to order these. I think it's a well-thought-out statement by Ron. Definitely provokes discussion. Thanks for your input.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Any idea when they will be coming out?
ReplyDeleteNo idea. I haven't been solicited for them yet, so I don't have an arrival date or price.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Being a designer and a Vet myself, I can see both sides of this coin. I initially found it easy to be offended by this, but I'm trying to be open-minded about it. from a design standpoint, I just don't see your message coming across as you would like it to. Part of the process in doing something like this, as well as in graphic design, is to see past what your message is and instead, think about what the public will interpret it as. There are too many sensitive people out there who have lost many loved ones that will only see what it appears to be, superficially; dead soldiers made into toys, which mocks and in a way belittles the sacrifice that they and their family members gave. That is a big no no.
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