THE REAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Thirty one tintype images: photographic emulsion on aluminum, 10 x 8 inches.

Civil War Statement

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Artist Statement: The Real History of the American Civil War

The 30 collodion process images that make up The Real History of the American Civil War depict dioramas of specific battles fought during the American Civil War. My historical recreations, using hand painted figurines and purchased toys, incorporate dinosaurs, pirates, a muscle car, a Gay Pride cotillion, a talking dolphin and a Panzer tank.

The story of our Civil War has slipped from tragic history to romanticized myth, or worse, from the stench of death lingering over countless battlefields, to a genteel nostalgia suitable for a P.B.S. documentary. The Real History of the American Civil War extends this propagandistic metaphor to the point where death and gore become play.

Robert Turney
East Lansing, MI
2.23.2014