Art for Commemoration

     Commemoration is something done as an aid to memory and artwork made for this purpose links us with humanity that stretches back in time. Commemoration makes our lives seem more significant and valuable. Thought of by many as a personal opportunity to hold memories of people important in our lives, commemoration is often more of a public celebration or honoring of an individual, their actions or an event.

     One example is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. by Maya Lin, completed in 1982. The almost 250-foot-long, V-shaped wall bears the names of nearly 60, 000 American service men and women who died or are missing from the time of that controversial war. The style of the monument, with it’s simple chronological list, was unprecedented among the monuments on the National Mall and attracts thousands of visitors, who appreciate the solemnity of the black granite walls, and the recording of every lost soldier’s name.

 

Frank, P., & Preble, D. (2011). Prebles’ artforms (11th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Prentice Halll.