The Joe Bonham Project is named after the fictional protagonist of Dalton Trumbo's 1939 anti-war novel Johnny Got His Gun. Its purpose is to portray the reality of war to the public with art that portrays the human consequences of combat. Founded by war artist Michael D. Fay, the organisation holds exhibitions to introduce the public to artistic representations of war and the aftermath of war.
The project distances itself from politics, preferring instead to be seen as apolitical "Witness Art".
References
- Kino, Carol (May 25, 2012). "Portraits of Wat". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
The artists were at Walter Reed representing the Joe Bonham Project, a year-and-a-half-old group dedicated to documenting the experiences of wounded service members. The group — named for the limbless, faceless protagonist of "Johnny Got His Gun," Dalton Trumbo's 1939 antiwar novel— was founded by Michael D. Fay, a former Marine Corps combat artist...
- "'Reportager' : Members : Mike Fay : Research Group and Programme at the School of Creative Arts, University of the West of England". University of the West of England. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Michael D. Fay and was the official combat artist for the United States Marine Corps from 2000-2010. In this capacity he completed four combat tours as a war artist, two each in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the National Museum of the Marine Corps. In 2010 Mike retired and, among other things, founded The Joe Bonham Project. The JBP is a reportage art program documenting the faces and experiences of profoundly battle wounded soldiers and Marines.
- Gammage, Jeff. "Drexel University's Joe Bonham project highlights human cost of war". Philadelphia Media Network. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Fay says this project is apolitical, aiming to honor the men who fought for their country and support them as they heal. And to show people - if they want to truly see - the reality of war. "We don't want to face the actual aftermath and results of war," said Karen Curry, who teaches the Drexel course Imaging War. "It's messy. It's forever. It's something that people have averted their eyes from."
- Panero, James (9 September 2011). "Introducing The Joe Bonham Project". The New Criterion. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Through portraiture, artists from both military and civilian life now work to ensure that today's soldiers do not become tomorrow's Joe Bonhams. As the curator of The Joe Bonham Project now on view at Storefront Gallery in Bushwick, Brooklyn, I am pleased to connect these artists with New York's most vital artistic neighborhood.
- Roffino, Sara (4 November 2013). "Aftereffects of War: The Joe Bonham Project Documents Wounded Soldiers' Recovery". BLOUIN ARTINFO. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Regardless of its military roots, the Joe Bonham project is witness art, not political propaganda. "We do it to tell the stories. We don't take a political stance. We're not heralding the war. We're not denouncing the war. We're simply painting a visual picture of those fighting their own wars when they come home," explained Robert Bates, the Marine Corps veteran and combat artist organizing the group's upcoming exhibition.
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