Edward Kienholz (1927-1994) was an American assemblage sculptor and installation artist who created works which were highly critical of modern life and provided social commentary. Born in Washington, Kienholz mostly reflected upon social and political issues of twentieth century America. Kienholz was renowned for his life-size three dimensional tableaux and immersive environments which he crafted from discarded furniture he found at yard sales and flea markets in the streets of Los Angeles.

Kienholz’s 1968 installation, Untitled, known by audiences as ‘The Portable War Memorial’ was constructed during the Vietnam War, serving as a bitter criticism of America’s international politics, the human sacrifice of military actions, and the consumerism of the American dream. This was an absolute subversion from the typical portrayal of war as a glorifying experience created by Kienholz’s predecessors, embodied by the propagandist poster of Uncle Sam which is seen in the background.

Kienholz’s installation also featured a cluster of motionless and faceless mannequins raising a flag, a poignant recreation of Joe Rosenthal’s 1945 photograph ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’. This appropriation is reflective of the futility of war, as Kienholz’s decision to dehumanise the soldiers by removing their faces ultimately conveys the devastating impact of the passage of time and the senselessness of the battles in Japan during WWII, portrayed in the original photographs. Kienholz’s recontextualisation of this image, replacing the war scene on the top of Mount Suribachi with an outdoor picnic table, characteristic of the 1960’s American consumerist environment, articulates his condemnation for the continued glorification of war by national and international memorials, and his disillusionment with the world’s history of ongoing warfare.

The installation also features a tombstone blackboard which contains the names of 475 independent countries that no longer exist as a consequence of war. The fading chalk names is indicative of the hundreds of countries which have been lost, and will also fade into obscurity. Similarly confronting are the blank spaces on the panel where new dates can be filled in to account for current wars where people are dying, whilst most first world citizens live comfortably, represented by the functional objects which assert an everyday context, pragmatically revealing the indifference of people living within populist American comfort, who at the same time would glorify the memorials Kienholz is questioning. This adoration and American patriotism is also depicted though the female form of Katie Smith performing “God Bless America’

Kienholz also features a working Coca-Cola vending machine, equating the commonness of consumer goods with war, as society has become desensitised to images of conflict as they pervade news headlines daily.

“Unlike Kienholz's previous work, which freezes a particular moment in time, "War Memorial" brings past, present and future together in a haunting, spectral triptych montage. There is the past—� "with all those propaganda devices," the present, with its clock, Coke machine ("business as usual") and eatery ("eating is a big compulsion in our society") and the tiny, scarred "man of the future."

The Memorial achieves its greatest impact through uncannily recreating the spirit of World War II— �as Mary Ryan, the museum's publicity director, said, "When you hear Kate Smith singing, you can't help feel a little surge of pride"— �and then putting it in the perspective of now; you become literally embarrassed

by the appalling simple-mindedness of your own historical past” – Thomas Albright (Rolling Stone)

Signs, Symbols and Codes:

• Last, blank tombstone represents future.• Small figure of a man crucified to it. The figure has burned hands indicating mankind’s

nuclear predictability and responsibility.• Use of discarded objects to reconstruct everyday environments – make us see the workings

of contemporary culture more lucidly and startlingly• Faceless soldiers- the futility of war and the subsequent lives lost.• The chalkboard is a symbol for the countries taken by war• The clock symbolises that life moves on, “Business as usual”• “God Bless America” symbolises America’s patriotism during the war, as well as the appalling

simplemindedness perpetuated by propaganda during the time such as the “I Want You” poster which is also featured.