'Home of the Brave: Politics, Propaganda and Patriotism'

"Home of the brave: Politics, propaganda and patriotism," at Florida Gulf Coast University's Art Gallery, looks at the Iraq War and the United States' place in the world.

The opening reception is Thursday, Sept. 11 from 5-8 p.m. at the Art Gallery on the campus of FGCU. It's free and open to the public.

The show, curated by Scott Snyder, runs from Sept. 11 through Oct. 18.

Artists Burtonwood and Holmes combine imagery of consumerism and America's military might. The works bring about the question of what is gained by our military interventions. Since Weapons of Mass Destruction were found to be a false case for going to war, the spreading of democracy (by force) was the sole remaining rationale for the Iraq War. Between the lines of presidential words, our policy for the Iraq War can easily be interpreted as simply the U.S. seeking control of vital resources that affect our economy. Little is shown on broadcast news

over the human impact. Blaine

Whisenhunt's powerful interactive installation allows gallery viewers to run images of Iraqi citizens through a paper shredder. The remains of the photocopies pile on the floor

COURTESY PHOTO Unholy Trinity, 2006, acrylic on paper on canvas by Burtonwood and Holmes. of the gallery, merely to be

swept up and thrown away at the end of this exhibition. We hear the count of dead and wounded American soldiers who have selflessly followed the orders of the Commander and Chief, but we seldom hear a count of dead and wounded Iraqi civilians. We may hear a number associated with specific anti-American attacks and roadside bombs, but seldom are they reported as being associated with American maneuvers. Iraqi casualties are seemingly never totaled on the news the way we have statistics on American casualties. Humanity as reported through our media remains one-sided, yet the reality is that the losses to either side have long-lasting social effects on individuals, families and Iraqi communities. Real and perceived losses to life, to freedom and to justice in Iraq will profoundly shape how favorably our country is viewed by the world.

A simple yet powerful image of "American might" fills one wall with a line of red, white and blue phalluses. These altered "lawn ornaments" eerily spin off thematically in several directions. Socio-economic status, power, racism, stereotypes, and the question of who fights our wars are issues that we must face. Benjamin Schulman uses and manipulates lawn ornaments that are still produced and sold to this day to evoke subtle or direct images of racism and a far-from-perfect history of equality in American society. Within the context of this exhibition and with the timing of the presidential election, the words "race relations" are brought to the forefront of the political conversation. Such topics are uncomfortable for many, including the presidential candidates, but with human atrocities in Darfur and our country still suffering from fear, misunderstanding, and continued bigotry, the subject of racism still needs to be examined on personal, communal, national and international levels.

For further information on this exhibition or upcoming events at the Art Galleries of Florida Gulf Coast University, contact (239) 590.7199 or visit http://artgallery. fgcu.edu.

The Art Gallery is located inside the Arts Complex on Florida Gulf Coast University's main campus. Parking is available in Lot 7 for gallery visitors. Parking passes are available at the parking kiosk located at the university's entrance.