Baghdad Lookout

I wish I could recall the exact circumstances that led to the creation of this particular drawing. It was done several years ago when we were still getting some regular TV footage of our troops operating in hostile territory so the "look" of it was in my mind. There seems to have been a blackout in news coverage for the last couple of years. So, I'm looking at the drawing and trying to ferret out what was going on in my head at the time which is no small task because once a picture is finished, I kind of erase whatever inspiration was involved. Most times I find myself compelled/consumed by a vision that clogs up my thinking until I finally put it on paper, and then, I can regenerate ideas in that vacated mental area. "Baghdad Lookout" seems to (and really I'm just guessing here) relate to the idea of a strong military aggressively assaulting a weaker, more vulnerable foreign nation. One guy is perpetrating the [assault] in the shadows while his buddy vigilantly defends the act, provides cover, and intimidates anyone considering interfering with his show of weaponry. Another interpretation could be that in a far-off land, in a state of constant fear and stress, with absolute dominion over segments of an occupied population, regular, normal guys can find the opportunity to do things they never would in their "real" lives. A license to "go wild" which will conveniently never be discovered. As far as the composition goes, the harsh, dry, washed-out tones squeezing the blue sky (freedom? openness? depth?) into a narrow shaft of blank background addresses the reality vs. the vision. For the most part, I try to stick with topics I know and have some degree of familiarity with because I think it give the image more credibility. I don't know war first-hand so this depiction is something of an anomaly, but I felt it needed to be done. It's unusual for me to return to a drawing and attempt to evaluate it and offer some kind of definition of its content. For the most part, I prefer that the viewer ascribe whatever meaning they deem is evoked from beholding the artwork. It's for others to interpret. Once I put my signature on it, whatever drove me to produce the piece pretty much vanishes.  I hope some of this makes sense.

— Michael Kirwan

Baghdad Lookout — 2004 — 8" x 11"