"Defending Controversial Art"

For this week’s controversial piece, I chose Maya Lin's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. I chose this because as a veteran, it is close to my heart. Obviously I'm only 32 and have probably never seen or dealt with anything as horrific as what the Vietnam Vets were faced with, but I have been to war and my husband is "over there" as I type this. I appreciated Maya Lin's humble and creative artistic vision when it came to just simply thinking about drafting the Memorial for the first time. During an interview she said, "I thought about what death is, what a loss is. A sharp pain that lessens with time, but can never quite heal over. A scar. The idea occurred to me there on the site. Take a knife and cut open the earth, and with time the grass would heal it. As if you cut open the rock and polished it." And her vision was born into a world already full of controversy. During that era, I honestly don’t think any model would have been 100% accepted by all. Much of the controversy of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial circles around politics and the feelings and personal experiences of so many people who both survived and died during that dreadful time in history. Ironically, Maya Lin's vision was far from political. Her vision placed people first above all else. She focused on finding the best way to honor the people first. She focused on the essentiality of closure and acceptance of war, two very difficult yet crucial parts of all that encompasses war and its aftermath. Maya Lin's memorial raised controversy across the world. Like usual, everyone had an opinion. War crusaders, family members of those who died, political figures and everyday people all had something to say about her vision. Much controversy also arose due to the fact she, herself was not only a woman but of Asian descent. Her work challenged others to separate themselves from their emotions in order to connect and understand her vision. Her vision was far from setting a negative political statement as wildly advertised by many. There were many positive outcomes that resulted from both the erection and vision of Maya Lin’s Memorial. Her design, though seen as minimal, speaks volumes to all those who visit it today. Honor, remembrance and acceptance are sometimes found the easiest when distractions are at a minimum. The wall isn’t cluttered by fancy statues or other distracting erections. Its serene environment allows the visitor to do just what he went there to do…to honor, remember and maybe sometimes even forgive. I’ve always loved this memorial, but admittedly until now I did not know its entire past nor had I ever taken time to actually read about its creator. In doing so, it has just become that much more special and meaningful. Next time I visit, I’m sure I will see it even differently than I did the first time. Thanks, Maya Lin. We will always remember.