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May Issue 2007
Waterfront Gallery in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Bob Graham
Waterfront
Gallery in Charleston, SC, is presenting an exhibit entitled,
An Artist's Vision of War, featuring works by Bob Graham,
on view through May 31, 2007.
The American Civil War was the most cataclysmic event ever to occur on this nation's soil. Between Apr. 12, 1861 and Apr. 9, 1865 the United States of America underwent a violent change more tragic than any other event in the nation's history. During this turning point in the nation's history an estimated 620,000 men lost their lives - a number far greater than any other conflict in which America has been engaged.
Putting these numbers into the context of the present day would mean that over five million Americans (in relation to the current population) would have "given their last full measure of devotion" (Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1865). During the four years of fighting in Iraq, 3,500 soldiers have already made the ultimate sacrifice. Can you imagine the outrage if that number were over five million?
For four long years, Americans fought and killed each other on their own soil, all in the cause of determining the political, economic, and social shape of the nation. This war affected virtually everyone in all parts of the country. Graham has chosen, through the use of graphite and watercolor, to commit to paper this impression of this immense event and express his vision of the war. The result is a powerful and moving look at a time when it seemed war reached everywhere and touched everyone.
Graham's paintings take a highly charged look
at the harshness of war, the devastation, triumph, fear, sorrow,
boredom, glory all through the device of stolen moments. He has
created a historical record with an uncanny attention to detail
and accuracy. He is able to capture the face of war in the studies
of a single soldier. Graham's art offers a feast both for the
eye and the mind. His art is a window that makes the War Between
the States vivid and personal. They are a journey into yesterday.
Some of America's most complex and impassioned feelings are expressed
in the images rendered in these watercolors and graphite drawings.
Graham's works tend to go straight into the heart of the conflict.
Through these works, the profound tragedy of that conflict can
begin to be understood. Artistic depictions of the Civil War continue
to hold great power for Americans. Today, as in the past, Americans
willingly invite the Civil War, with all its disturbing agonies,
into our hearts and homes. They do this because by looking at
images of the conflict that tore the nation apart, they realize
the importance of maintaining national unity, not only politically
but emotionally as well.
The Civil War has never lost its fascination for the American people. Graham gives short shrift to battlefield drama and instead concentrates on the routine of military life - the exhaustion of long marches, the solitude of sentry duty or the more quiet moments of camp life. These paintings are known for their power to portray and capture human emotion. Graham has worked color and shape into his paintings to convey his sympathies for the combatants and for the dreadful deeds they were compelled to commit and endure. No glorious victories are portrayed in his works, but rather emotions of desperation, sorrow and emotional pain are allowed to shine through his ghostly layers of watercolor. In short Graham has masterfully captured the bravery, honor, honesty and ideals of the American Civil War soldier. These ideals, so strongly held in the past century remain with us still.
Graham has done his best to show frailties and virtues on both sides. He has sketched stolen moments to create a marvelously rich body of work that holds the viewer spellbound. These paintings speak eloquently of the people of the Civil War era, as well as to the hearts of people today. Graham seeks to tell the story of war, its causes, its significance, and its implications through his paintings. This work is a stunning visual history with its intimate portraits of soldiers that reflect the strong spirit and personal tragedy that was the American Civil War.
For further info check our SC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/722-1155 or visit (www.waterfrontartgallery.com).
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