Hiroshima, questions
I went to Japan in 1995 to explore, in paint and pencil, my confusion about my country’s justification for dropping atomic bombs on two cities in Japan. I have heard for as long as I have been alive that this horrendous rain of destruction was necessary to end the war, to save American lives and to bring democracy to a “backward” wrong-thinking country. I have been told that the Japanese were fanatics; a maniacally war- mongering people who would stop at nothing to take over the world. Therefore, according to that mind-set, America was justified to use the most heinous means to subject the Japanese. Apparently it worked.
The confusion that I had/have and that I went to Japan to explore, came from being raised a Christian with the mandates “Thou shalt not kill” “Love your neighbor as yourself”, “Turn the other cheek” “Forgive thine enemy 7 times 70” and then squaring that with what I know our country is capable of.
I came away from Japan with my body of work and no answers. Only questions.
 Supplication #129" x 42" Mixed Media |  Supplication #2Mixed Media 26" x 42" |  Japanese Landscape #143" x 21" Mixed Media |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese Landscape #243" x 21" Mixed Media |  Japanese Landscape #343" x 21 Mixed Media |  Hands August 5 #112" x 16" |
 Hands, August 5th #212" x 16" |  Hands, August 5th #312" x 15 |  Hands, August 5th #412" x 16" |
 Hands, August 5th #512" x 16" |  Hands, August 5th #612" x 16" |  Hands, August 5th #7.12" x 16" |
 Hands, August 5th #812" x 16" |  Hands, August 5th #912" x 16" |  Hands, August 5th #1012" x 16" |
 Hands, August 5th #11 |  Hands, August 5th, #1212" x 16" |  Hands, August 6th #112" x 15" |
 Hands, August 6th #212" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #312" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #412" x 15" |
 Hands, August 6th #512" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #612" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #712" x 15" |
 Hands, August 6th #812" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #912" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #1012" x 15" |
 Hands, August 6th #1112" x 15" |  Hands, August 6th #1212" x 15" |  Hands August 6th #1312" x 15" |
 Ground Zero #1Mixed Media 22" x 20" |  Ground Zero #2Mixed Media 22" x 20" |  Ground Zero #3Mixed Media 22" x 20" |
 Ground Zero #4Mixed Media 14.5" x 14" |  Ground Zero #5Mixed Media |  Ground Zero #6Oil on Paper |
 Flight.Oil on Canvas 32" x 10" |  Cruciform 1Oil on Canvas 35"x 49" |  Cruciform 2Pencil and Graphite on paper 30" x 42" |
 Cruciform 3Oil on paper 30" x 40" |  Cruciform 4Oil on Paper 84" x 40" |  Cruciform 5Oil on Paper19" x 21" |
 Cruciform 6Mixed Media 30" x 42" |  Cruciform 7Colored Pencil and Graphite on Paper 30" x 40" |  Cruciform 8Mixed Media 30" 40" |
 Suffer the ChilldrenMixed Media 40" x 30" |  "They're Just Japs"Mixed Media 40" x 30" |  "My God"Oil on Canvas 60" x 16" |
 The Yellow DomeOil on Canvas 45" x 45" |  The White DomeOil on Canvas 35" x 45" |  The DomeAftermath Oil on Canvas 45" x 36" |
 The Blue Dome45" x 36" Oil on Canvas |