Martha Rosler’s House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home (2002-2006) was a response to American politics in the Iraq War and the seeming oblivion of Americans in their luxurious homes. In this series of photo collages, Rosler handmade each frame through scanning and printing images of contemporary home interiors and juxtaposed with photographs of Iraq War soldiers. This extreme contradiction of peacefulness and brutality was Rosler’s way to forewarn Americans of the consequences of war. “Bring the war home” was not only commenting on the violence of war that could disturb a peaceful home, but also the post-traumatic stress disorder which many soldiers faced after coming home from war.
Rosler originally created this series in 1967-71 using photographs published in Time magazine and images from the home décor magazine House Beautiful. Both series, 40 years apart, brought attention to the continuity of foreign affairs in American politics. They should be a reminder for Americans on the mandatory draft during the Vietnam War that elevated public protests, where else less attention was on the Iraq War. Rosler’s photo collage series was a wake-up call for Americans to oppose foreign war affairs before it was too late.
Election Lynndie, from the series Bringing the War Home: House Beautiful, c. 2004–2008, Martha Rosler.
A good summary on the installation piece with adequate amount of descriptions, and the intention purpose of the work was described well, this summary also showed the writer's throughout understanding of America's history and the artist's stand point on the Iraq War. However, I wish you described more of how this work made you feel, and weather it changed your mind on anything as it intended to.
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