American Legion Post 206, Los Angeles, CA
The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization.
Out front:
“Pup Tent”
Inside: “Winter Garden”
After Marcel Broodthaers’ Un Jardin d’Hiver, 1974
“Leaflets”
Language from Aram Saroyan’s minimal poems Stephen Wright’s dedication and epigraph from the novel Meditations in Green North Vietnamese leaflets to U.S.
“Bread Machines”
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“Short Timer’s Bar”
pin-up, agent white herbicide barrels as cocktail tables
Behind Legion Bar:
People’s Army, People’s War by Vo Nguyen Giap
“I’m from Whittier, too” Nixon photograph
Snoopy Lamp US military issue Vietnam era sunglasses
Military and associated card decks
Special Forces Snoopy Patch
Snoopy snow globe found at post 206
The US called the North Vietnamese Army, the People’s Army of Vietnam, and the People’s Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam the Viet Cong. In the military alphabet, VC is spoken as Victor Charlie. It was shortened to Charlie. The character of Charlie Brown was used by US soldiers to represent the Viet Cong, and US troops assigned themselves the identification with Snoopy. Short Timers were US soldiers who had 100 days left in Vietnam.
On stage:
“Burning Lands” Banners – modified stills from beta test preview footage of Burning Lands video game, a tactical first-person shooter based in the Vietnam War era, produced by Zero Hour Interactive.
5 paintings
“Success Medium”
“Puppy”
“All Tramps Go to Heaven”
“3 Palms for Post 206”
“Cross”
“D’Ette’s Vietnam War-Themed 50th Birthday Party”
Installed throughout exhibition, activated 2/24 @ 8pm
All welcome.
Recommended viewing: Bob Clark’s Deathdream, A.K.A. Dead of Night, 1974
Presumed-dead soldier Andy reappears at his parents’ home, but he’s not quite the same.
all work 2024