Iwojima Statue by Felix W DeWeldon
Introduction:
The Iwo Jima Statue, also known as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, was unveiled in 1954, almost ten years after the end of WWII. In describing the piece of art, it is evident that there are a variety of elements that are used in order to establish an organic sense of motion. This motion moves form the Earth to the sky as the soldiers raise up the flag. The creation of the piece seems to have been done in order to elicit an emotional response in the viewer. The artist is successful in his attempt to recreate the photograph and the sense of national pride that is felt when viewing it.
Body:
When looking at the Iwo Jima statue created by DeWeldon, the first thing that one notices is its form as well as the scale of its size. The monument is a sculpture based on the artist's depiction of an iconic photograph. After the memorial was commissioned, DeWeldon began working on creating a large-scale plaster mold of the images depicted in the photo. The then taken apart and each piece was individually cast in bronze. The underlying structure is built upon black dolerite, or granite, that was imported from Sweden. Once the bronze pieces were reassembled together once more on this base the flagpole was added on. The scene was scaled to more than five times the size of the original picture. The figures themselves stand at around 32 feet, while the flagpole looms at 60 feet. The general shape of the monument contains several figures that are grouped around one another. The structure primarily consists of the soldiers and the flagpole upon the base. The axis seems to be somewhat diagonal. The soldiers seem to come to a triangular point where the flagpole reaches up into the air, not quite vertically. The sculpture utilizes various forms of line. While the soldiers themselves are softer, contoured, and organic, the ground they stand upon is built of rougher, more jagged lines. The flagpole, similarly to the soldiers, consists of a straighter, more well-defined line. These lines dictate the very shape and space of the sculpture. The soldiers are contrasted from the ground due to the variance in use of line, as well as the flagpole which seems to be clearly defined by the soldiers themselves. The lines of the soldiers, while soft, are irregular and variable, like the ground. This is due to the many contours of their clothes. The ground, which consists of more jagged lines, is also irregular, creating a strong textured effect. The flagpole, however, consists of a regular, non-intermittent, thick line. This difference in line contrasts the three spaces, ground, soldiers, and flag, from one another. The major shapes that are depicted within the monument are the men, the flag, and the ground. These three spaces seem to overlap with one another, creating an organic feel. When looking up at the sculpture, the ground seem to overlap the feet. This area takes up the most amount of horizontal space. The men are contained in the center and, while overlapped by the ground, themselves overlap the flagpole. The flagpole, while having the least amount of horizontal space, has the most vertical space as it rises into the air. For the most part, the culture utilizes flat, plain, more natural tones. The base itself is black, though it contains bronze lettering and trim. The ground that the men are standing on is of various hues of bronze, some darker than others. The men themselves, also cast in bronze, reflect a similar, though flatter, color. The American flag that tops the statue is the most colorful part of the monument. The red, white, and blue contrast sharply with the rest. The main texture of the piece lies in the ground that the men stand on as well as the their clothing. The ground's texture is achieved by the varied lines and strongly shaped planes. The clothing is the primary source of texture for the group of soldiers. The monument was unveiled November 10, 1954 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Analysis
The artist created this monument in order to depict the events within the photograph of the Iwo Jima flag raising. The iconography of the United States military and its victories during WWII are expressed within the sculpture. The soldiers are the main subject matter and their actions seem to be the underlying idea that is being depicted. The flag raising at Iwo Jima was a historical event that is codified in the creation of the statue. The most distinctive features of the statue is the flag itself. Despite the rough terrain at their feet, and the drab and dull colors depicted in the piece, their grouping and the shape that is created lines up directly with the flag that is rising up towards the sky. This depiction of the flag, and its contrasting colors, seems to stand apart from the rest of the architecture. While the ground and the soldiers are shaped in a more organic way, the flagpole and the flag itself consist of straight lines and more concrete shapes. In looking at the principles of design and composition that were used in the piece it is evident that the ideas of symmetry and geometric harmony are used in order to directly contrast the chaotic ground beneath the soldier's feet as well as the stable and vertically orientated flag that rises up above them. The use of horizontal repetition of broken and disconnected planes and lines allows the landscape to seem as though it spreads beyond the sculpture itself. This is set against the organic shapes of the soldiers, who are working together, almost as a cohesive whole, in order to raise the flag, which seems to naturally grow or extend from them. These structural elements work together in order to contribute to the overall appearance of the piece. The overall shape is established by the shapes changing from horizontally orientated at the base to vertically orientated at the top. This natural progression creates a triangular shape that seems to contain a natural motion. The fact that the monument is an outdoor sculpture allows the natural light to reflect off of the rounded shapes in order to give it a more realistic view. The use of contrasting colors seems to be symbolic of the ideals of the time, that the ideals of the American spirit were triumphing over the old and muddied ideologies of the past. The flag seems to rise up out of the mud and come to life. The contrasting elements work together in order to establish a logical movement from the landscape to the flag above. The depiction is a natural extension of the landscape depicted in the picture. The use of broken lines and characteristics that create the sense of perspective make the sculpture seem to be a natural expression of the scene itself (Shanken 167). The use of shape, line, and space within the monument work to portray a sense of movement. The three main spaces, landscape, soldiers, and flag, work together in order to create an organic geometry that rises upward in a triangular fashion. However, this sense of geometry is offset by the use of diagonal lines, which represent both the forward momentum of the soldiers and the upward momentum of the flag. This seems to express a sense of movement within the sculpture. The medium of bronze is used to great effect within the sculpture. DeWeldon allows the natural processes of the medium to wear away at the soldiers in order to create a more natural look. Furthermore, the bronze landscape provides a sense of variance and texture. Each part of the composition is fundamentally connected to the rest. The soldiers and flag, while almost seeming to be one organic whole, are disconnected by the alterations of direction of line. The ground and the flag can be seen to be contrasted by their vertical versus horizontal orientations (Shanken 171). Finally, the soldier's relationship with the ground is presented by the angular shapes of their feet, which seem to be perfectly situation to the exact position of each. This demonstrates a strong connection with the Earth, as they seem to be rising up out of it. These elements work together in order to create an emotional sense of national pride. To see the American flag seem to rise up out of the Earth by the strength of the soldiers, who are themselves a part of the Earth, creates a strong personal reaction to the piece.
Interpretation
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Judgment
Conclusion:
The artist spent almost a decade attempting to create this piece of art. It is evident that he felt strongly about the theme. The elements that were used in order to create the sculpture depict a strong sense of line and shape that merges with the organic base in order to contrast with the smooth flagpole that rises up above. The flag at the crown of the monument and the color used further contrasts with the flat colors of the ground. These aspects work together in order to instill a sense of natural and dynamic movement. The overall goals of the artist were likely to depict the scene in as natural a way as possible. They were ultimately successful in this.
Works Cited
Burrell, Robert S. Ghosts of Iwo Jima. Texas A&M University Press. 2006. Print.
DeWeldon, Felix. United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial). 1954. Bronze. Arlington National Cemetery, VA.
Harimon, Robert and Lucaites, John Louis. Performing Civic Identity: The Iconic Photograph of the Flag on Iwo Jima. Quarterly Journal of Speech. Vol. 88. No. 4. 363-392. 2002. Print.
Rogers, J. David. Iwo Jima: The Costliest Battle in American History. MST. 16. Print.
Shanken, Andrew M. Research on Memorials and Monuments. Annals of the Institute of International Investigations. 163-172. 2004.
