First Strike (2024)
Found objects, oriented strand board (OSB), detritus, sawdust24” W x 18” H x 2.5” D
Inquire
In the United States, a country with a relatively short history, militaria has filled the void left by a lack of shared culture. Traces of war can be found in our media¹, in our food², and in our toys. Similarly, the real American Frontier refers to a short period of time (about 30 years after the Civil War) and likely shared little resemblance with its popular depiction. Despite this, the romance of the “Wild West” lives on. It is one of the country’s most enduring myths.
We all love a good story. They excite us; they establish bonds; they help us understand our values. In the Wild West, we see ourselves in the cowboy: low angle, guns drawn, boldy facing down the “bad guy.” First Strike suggests that the cultural conflation of two icons (the Soldier and the Cowboy)³ affects the perception of our role in war. Pressed into a raised mound on an OSB surface⁴, two figures face off, but the protaganist is unclear.
To a bystander, the Wild West duel is just a fire fight.
_____________________________________
¹ Muir and Stockwell. “FCJ-004 The Military-Entertainment Complex: A New Facet of Information Warfare,” The Fibreculture Journal, Issue 1 – 2003.
² Martin, Andrew. “Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More,”New York Times, November 2008.
³ BMC Toys manufactures their “army men” with Tim Mee Toy’s (1950 - 2005) original molds. Their “Old West” line renders dueling cowboys in the same green plastic as its classic army men.
⁴ OSB, or oriented strand board, is commonly used for construciton applications like subfloors and wall sheathing. Its presence goes largely unnoticed by a house’s occupants despite its ubiquity.