Contemporary Artist Review

            The contemporary artist that stood out to me was Frank Breuer.  His work in “Project 3, War Memorials”(http://www.frankbreuer.com/projects-3.html) is interesting to me because within the memories of war, the memorials give it a coat of beauty.  Each memorial has its own specific identity and sense of spirit that the work does not seem to get old.  

            Within this project, I appreciate that Breuer is not just stuck in one country but he is expanding the notion of war and how each country shows their love to their soldiers in similar ways.  I feel that Breuer shot the structures at a more straight on viewpoint to express the pure beauty in life and how we sometimes take it for granted.  I also can see that his work could cause some disputes between those for was and those against and the advantages and disadvantages it causes. 

            In the background of each photograph, there is not a beautiful, blue sky.  It is grey and dreary.  I believe that this is not a coincidence; I believe that Breuer wanted the skies to be dull and lifeless to emphasis the sadness that the monuments symbolize.  Even though the monuments seem a lot alike, each one tells an individual story of who was all involved, the hardships and everything in between. 

            When most people see a historical piece of the world, they tend to think back to that time and what it may have been like to go through the events firsthand.  The monuments capture that immortal feeling.  It was hard to choose a favorite photo from the whole piece but I really wanted to pick one that stood out to me.  My favorite memorial is the Neuville St.Vaast, F, WW 1, French because I absolutely love the arm holding up a torch; it expresses that, even though the men are buried, they had victory.   

            I could not find anything on Breuer’s own interpretation of his work, so I decided to email him asking what his intentions were with this piece and how he wanted his audience to perceive it.  He did not get back to me in time but I would think he would agree with at least a few concepts I have brought up throughout my interpretation.

            If I could speak to Frank Breuer, one on one, I would express my appreciation to him of this piece and how much such a simple shot of each monument symbolizes differently to each person individually.  They do not just symbolize death; they show passion, protection, and hope for the world.  I hope to, one day, be as good of a photographer as Frank Breuer.