WW1: Best & MOST Disturbing Trench Art Shell I've Seen!

[Ed Hicks]

WW1 Projectile: Best & MOST Disturbing Artwork Shell I've Seen!

WARNING: If you are overly sensitive to bizarre imagery do not L@@K at the photos posted here.

A Frenchman bayoneting a German soldier (Possibly a recounting of an actual event)...A wonderful example of High Trench Art...The artist obviously had serious issues left over from his exposure to combat and the evidence of his obsessive memories is scattered around the shell's surface...I'll post photos and leave the subject matter to the viewer... This artist survived the trenches with unresolved mental issues.

[Ed Hicks]

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[PaulR]

That is great! Is it available? If not, congrats on such a unique item! It is definitely thought provoking.

Paul

[Michael Fay]

WW1 Projectile: Best & MOST Disturbing Artwork Shell I've Seen!

WARNING: If you are overly sensitive to bizarre imagery do not L@@K at the photos posted here.

A Frenchman bayoneting a German soldier (Possibly a recounting of an actual event)...A wonderful example of High Trench Art...The artist obviously had serious issues left over from his exposure to combat and the evidence of his obsessive memories is scattered around the shell's surface...I'll post photos and leave the subject matter to the viewer... This artist survived the trenches with unresolved mental issues.

Hello Ed,
much thanks for taking the time to showcase this interesting piece.
I want to first say that some people exposed to trauma have expiated or sublimated such negative psychological experiences by the very acts of pouring such experiences into their art or craft-works and thus becoming much healthier psychologically than before putting the events in "art."

[praubal]

Hello Ed,
much thanks for taking the time to showcase this interesting piece.
I want to first say that some people exposed to trauma have expiated or sublimated such negative psychological experiences by the very acts of pouring such experiences into their art or craft-works and thus becoming much healthier psychologically than before putting the events in "art."

eh....? dunno about that...more likely the French soldier delighted in killing his enemy....the Bosh

[Ed Hicks]

The disturbing part is not the bayoneting of the German soldier (as great an example of heroic propaganda that it is), it's the soldiers' body parts scattered about the field of battle that are so hauntingly rendered that evoke the horrors of the war as the artist recalled so vividly. I did not post the more obvious images depicted on the shell. This man was certainly scarred by his wartime experiences and perhaps he found some brief respite from his nightmares through making art. What remains is one man's powerful visual statement of personal warfare that may appear outwardly heroic, but is truly visceral and obscene.

[Michael Fay]

Hello Ed,
in no way am I claiming any one pouring bad experiences into their art and crafts is made whole again, only that it can help and sometimes a lot.
Since you have now mentioned that there are depictions of body parts that have not been digitally shared-I agree with you even more that this artist was not made whole by the act of doing this art. But, it may have helped him. Lord knows this is a standard mental health practice to have troubled folks artistically depict their feelings or trauma.

[Don D.]

Beautiful piece Ed. Let me know when I can swing by and pick it up.

[Ed Hicks]

Michael,

Thanks for your comments and I fully agree with you that this was likely therapeutic on some level for the veteran. I'm guessing he was trying to share his revulsion with warfare artistically and exorcizing his demons or he was just plain nuts and sculpted images of man parts for fun. Either way this is a Trench Art tour de force and we can only surmise what this man suffered.

Ed

Hello Ed,
in no way am I claiming any one pouring bad experiences into their art and crafts is made whole again, only that it can help and sometimes a lot.
Since you have now mentioned that there are depictions of body parts that have not been digitally shared-I agree with you even more that this artist was not made whole by the act of doing this art. But, it may have helped him. Lord knows this is a standard mental health practice to have troubled folks artistically depict their feelings or trauma.

[Geof]

Magnificent and macabre!