The Human Condition

The Impact of War on Mothers

Vrnda Noel is the mother of Elijah Wright who is a Sergeant Combat Medic Veteran stationed in Iraq. When he was deployed, she made him promise to write of his experiences in vivid detail, telling him she wanted to "smell this war". Being a medic, he had to address the full physical as well as psychological effects of battle. His writing helped him process the trauma of war. The tales he sent his mother were so intense that when she shared them with friends who are Vietnam War veterans, they shook their heads in amazement at the explicit quality of his writing, knowing full well the intensity of his experiences. The deployment of her son was traumatic for Vrnda, and has inspired her to dedicate her life to speaking out for families against our current war. In turn, Elijah has been moved to tell the stories of what is really happening in Iraq, stories which our media is not reflecting.

She is extraordinary in that she has a strong compassion for mothers on both sides of the conflict. She understands that it matters not if a mother is from America or Iraq, when her son is put in such extreme danger it feels as if her womb is being torn out. I met her at a demonstration against the war, where she was speaking with a passion only a mother could possess. Struck by the expressive qualities demonstrated in her speech, I was inspired to reflect the wide range of emotions experienced by a mother whose son is in battle; fear, apprehension, anger, hope, and love.

This series of pencil and water media paintings are laid down on matt board that has been collaged with shot-gunned canvasses and then burnt by laying hot coals atop. The destructive process reflects the violence of war. I aspired to manifest the delicacy of Vrnda’s features and her embodiment of the full range of human emotions in regards to having a son consumed by war.

Many times has the American war in Iraq war been compared to the American war in Vietnam.

I started visiting Vietnam in 1990, when the country was in the throes of severe depression that was the product of four consecutive wars; with the French, Americans, Cambodians then Chinese. At that time, people were literally starving to death in the streets. Everyone I met there had a story of tremendous hardship due to the wars. However, the prevalent attitude of the Vietnamese is very wise and forward looking. They feel a compassion for American vets as they understand that war is a conflict between governments, not individuals. Most extraordinary is their vast conception of time. Where we in the west are often aware of only a few generations, the Vietnamese recognize a very long generational chain that stretches over centuries. They are some of the most resilient and resourceful people I’ve met. Working steadily towards building a better life for future generations, they do not dwell in the negativity of the past, as many Americans do, in regards to our war fought over a generation ago. Their commitment to rebuilding their country is demonstrated very clearly today as Vietnam has emerged as one of the most thriving economic centers of Southeast Asia.

The series, Nga in Tru Vu’s Garden, started as an edition of lithographs that were buried, either in the ground or in layers of paint, to obscure the original portrait of Nga. Her image recedes and becomes ghost like in some of the drawings while emerging with force in others. I wanted to bring out essential qualities of the portrait as a reflection of the steadfast resilience demonstrated by the Vietnamese through the direst of circumstance.