💣Bombs Were Once A Concept💣

   Leave it to Weird Al to give an entertaining commentary on of all things the atom bomb. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year reader. Remember to be thankful that your holiday season is not  “at ground zero.” It’s funny to me how much we can see effects of historical events in our culture today. Whether that representation comes in the form of media, movements, movies, or art doesn’t matter all that much when looking at it from a expanded point of view. I could personally argue all day about what historical representation we need more of or what that already exists is most valuable. What it all comes down to is the event, era, person, place, or thing that the medium represents. 

   Speaking in terms of mediums, not the setting on your stove or the size of your pants, artistic medium. It’s something that I find fascinating probably more so than I should. The perception of varying mediums among different people is interesting. In visiting the Vancouver Art Gallery this past November, I caught a glimpse of one medium. Conceptual art, a concept that I’ve become quite familiar with, has also become something that I loathe. As I tried to understand it and searched for the appeal, I found it extremely challenging to find any appreciation for “art” that is so blatant and simple. It doesn’t sit right with me that someone with potentially no “talent” can make bank off of a “ready made,” or a set of instructions. Incase I’ve failed to make it clear, I have an appreciation for art, just not that of the conceptual form. Of course, as most anything I tackle in humanities, there is a challenge that is often personal rather than academic. This time around it was getting over my pretentious opinions on concept art in order to produce my own. 

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   Posed with the question, “How can we use conceptual art to represent the historical significance of the Manhattan Project?” To my dismay this required an answer in the form of my own conceptual art. I tried to focus on content as much as possible as I simply prefer to learn about real world events, people, and things. That’s not to say that conceptual art isn’t “real world,” I just think there is more valuable art out there. On the other hand, the historical aspect of this endeavour came in the form of studying the Manhattan Project. I had no prior knowledge of what the Manhattan Project actually consisted of and to be frank, I thought it has something to do with, well, Manhattan. Of course now I know better, it does not have anything to do with Manhattan. The real challenge was in how I was going to transfer my learning about the history into a piece of conceptual art. Some of my peers went in the scientific direction, others a very political one. I found myself questioning the result of the Manhattan Project, and what exactly that was, or rather is. 

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   As many of us know, the result of the Manhattan Project was the atomic explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In my most recent post I talked about the book, Hiroshima, by John Hersey. Alongside reading the book and studying the event that was Hiroshima, I did extra research in order to back up my concept that I’d selected for my art. I want you to imagine yourself at the 2021 PLP Winter Exhibition. In the room dedicated to teaching you about culture and society, you’ll find interesting conceptual art, like you’d fine in a prestigious art gallery. Once you turn the corner you’d see a projection of well known music videos alongside the songs themselves. Why? In studying Hiroshima, I found that a lot of my peers, as well as the general public saw the bombing itself to be the only real product of the Manhattan Project. Sure the development of the atom bomb and all that scientific stuff was helped by the initial tests and explosions, but what did it contribute culturally and societally. As a musician and a self proclaimed music fanatic, I see music as a pillar of society, especially in this day in age. I can justify this by simply saying that music has helped generations convey emotions, opinions, demands, and so on. In my justification, I realized, who has something to say, or rather sing about the effects of the atom bomb, Hiroshima, or even the Manhattan Project. Thus followed questions like, what sort of chain reaction did the Manhattan Project’s success start aside from the obvious. What historical eras, events, figures were influenced by this one event. This revelation was my turning point in deciding how and if the Manhattan Project is as historically significant as it was made out to be. The answer is yes. For my art, I complied over 20 well known songs that have either blatant and obvious meanings relating to the historical domino effect the Manhattan Project had, or the opposite, songs I hadn’t the faintest idea had any relation to it. You can find both the playlist as well as my artists statement here.

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   One of the reasons conceptual art just didn’t stick with me, was how simple it is. I’m not an artist but I have much respect for those who are. Then again, what even is art? I think it’s undefined, but it’s relation to the historical era from which it comes is key. I always liked to believe that art had some meaning. Typically meaning comes from emotion, and what causes that emotion, who knows. For artists post World War 2, the depiction of war and all the complicated emotions that come with may be reflected in their art. Hearing Yoko Ono, who before this project I only knew as the woman who broke up the Beatles, sing Katy Perry’s “Firework,” a song that I listened to religiously at the ripe age of 10, was so confusing. If you haven’t heard her rendition, please, listen. At the point where we analyzed Yoko’s work, including the VAG visit, I found that there was a meaning beyond just a “concept,” in her conceptual art. While I don’t think that it requires talent or even much thought, good conceptual art can have a message, opinion, or representation. Yoko did that very well, especially with her pieces regarding the Vietnam War. 

   The conclusion that I’ve come to is not what I would’ve expected at the beginning of this project. The Manhattan Project is one of the most historically significant events in human history, and the most historically significant event of recent history. If I were to have chosen a way to convey my concept in a different form of art, I would’ve done so, but due to my lack of artistic ability, you can imagine the quality of art. Conceptual art is a good way for those who need to express their ideas and opinions and have no artistic ability to do so, but I still don’t understand why someone with an artistic gift would use it rather than a different medium.