Follow Me, I'm Right Behind You

This was Dianne Heesom-Green's exhibition taken to the Klein Karoo Festival in April 2007.

In trying to find images to express a deep seated belief that something intangible is amiss with our species, I first had to seek out and name the fleeting unnamed ideas that simmered as far back as childhood. Not easy, try to express the unimaginable...such as the colour red to a blind person.?

I tried various methods to vocabularise my thoughts. Images are more difficult than words as they cannot be subtly flavored by tense or emphasis.

You have forgotten you are life, priceless life. You are therefore no longer afraid to die. This is the secret of all armies. This is the magical power of the uniform, the tribal dance, the marching squad, the aircraft in formation

'One time shoe-shine' images are so difficult to create in a way that will easily interpret, and not misinterpret, intention. They must also be aesthetically pleasing so to invite the observer into the relationship, tickle thought processes and encourage a revisit.

My anger and confusion abounds...... but about what exactly? Perhaps it is anger at a system which dupes our species into fighting and hating one another?

The blameless innocence of the spin doctors of war. The system which righteously asks if the cigarette is to blame for the smokers behavior, or if the gun is to blame for the murder. But who markets these vehicles of sure death? Who pays for the research and development? How do they decide the target market and who prices these products for the consumer to buy.

Such hum-drum administrative duties are indeed part of the system of war. In fact, if the accounts came up in the red, armaments would not be so prolific. It is a sad fact that trade in guns, bullets, bombs, fighter jets, tanks etc. makes our major governments almost as much cash as the companies who design and sell them. So now we have a cost effective product and solid backers...all that is needed is to shake things up a bit and have a grand scale war....only its not called that today. War speak is a science all on its own.... just watch the TV or the latest computer war game.

However my need is to explore the nameless system that states how or what we should perpetrate. Why do we buy in? Perhaps exposure of this manipulation is what I am trying to achieve. Here I might find my images. What is the name of this beast? why does it not appear in print? Soldiers of this century are no more than gladiators in a world sized arena. Fodder to arms development, observed by capitalists and voyeurs of violence. Pawns in a twisted society fed images of 'heroic deeds' which are no more than a vent for our baser instincts culminating in atrocities, perpetrated on victims who in turn become 'justified' perpetrators.

...now the images flood in..

Dianne Heesom-Green used the title, "Follow Me, I'm Right Behind You!" to express the need to view the situation clearly. That is to say that we are ordered into conflict by councils and people who generally outlive their pawns of violence. A leader by definition should be in front of his people, elected by his followers to lead them safely through life.

"I am questioning the structures and methods by which our leaders coerce the population into accepting violent conflict as a human condition. I suggest that if more time, money and energy were put towards peaceful solutions then global disharmony would be as unattainable as global peace is today."

Thank you to all the ex-servicemen and others who shared their stories with me. I respect your bravery in the telling.

Thanks to Kaya for your advice, 'Do what is in your head!', Theo Kleynhans for the opportunity and Etienne for the following from My Cuban....