Artist's Statement

Contact Matt Mitchell at matt@100facesofwarexperience.org


Project description

100 Faces is a work in progress. On completion it will consist of 100 Portraits of Americans who have been to the theaters of war in Iraq or Afghanistan (OEF,OIF). Each portrait is accompanied by a placard which features a statement written by the person pictured and a brief biography of the person pictured. The biographical information and the statement reflect the person at the time of the creation of the portrait.

Not all of the people pictured are military personnel. All have travelled to the theater of war in Iraq or Afghanistan. The portraits are not for sale and not done at any cost to the participants. 100 Faces of War Experience is a not for profit project under the fiscal sponsorship of the Veterans Education Project of amherst, MA.

While visiting this website you can view the portraits and statements of the 100 Faces project, apply to be part of the project, view the upcoming exhibition schedule, and donate to support this work.

Artist's Statement

First I would like to thank everyone who has chosen to participate in this project through having their portrait done. For some it has been easy to choose what they wanted to say and to meet with me to talk and prepare for the creation of their portrait. For others it has been very difficult. In some situations a year has elapsed between my first contact with a person for this project and their feeling ready to put something down in words.

The families of those who lost their lives have been incredible in the quality of their openness and strength, inviting me, a stranger, in to their houses and families, going over photographs and talking about the character of their lost loved one.

The first portrait for the project was of Jeff Lucey, who committed suicide after returning from Iraq. Joyce and Kevin Lucey sat with me through a meeting which was painful for them and showed faith in the project when I had nothing to show them, nothing to back up this idea of 100 Faces. Their trust is what enabled this project to exist.

I began 100 Faces in the spring of 2005 because I wanted to understand some connection to these wars which our country was waging. It seemed like the peace movement had failed or had been shown to be impotent. It also seemed apparent that this failure may have something to do with the fact that a person like me could essentially dismiss the reality of these wars being waged. I could live life with no personal consequence of these massive engagements. I chose to see if it were possible to do a project which would tie the Americans who had gone to the war zones back to the American public. To find a means of making our country's involvement tangible to the general public.

It is clear that the most massive impact of these wars is in the countries in which they are being waged. So a picture of the Americans who have gone to the war zones is by no means pretending to be a comprehensive look at the wars. However, it is the American involvement which is profoundly influencing the world. This American experience is clearly worth examining! Not only are these wars involving hundreds of thousands of people who represent, in some way, American culture and policies abroad, but this event of America engaging in wars on foreign soil is a frequently reoccurring event in American history. 100 Faces aims to be an illuminating way to look into our own culture in the context of foreign war.

Through giving voice to many people, the project becomes a representation of the American involvement as a tide of personal experience. The project then strives to become a real tool for understanding history by representing the widest array of those experiences. 100 Faces seeks to represent a wide diversity of people throughout American society.

100 Faces is predicated on the belief that a group of people motivated to speak can illuminate much more than any individual possibly could. So the words that you read are chosen by the people pictured or their families. I encourage people to say something which will set themselves apart from the other people in the series, but try in all other ways to keep from influencing the words they choose.

People have used 100 Faces' unique representation of history in many different ways. Since the project's inception 18 exhibitions have been scheduled. Galleries, libraries, churches, colleges, and professional seminars have used the project to help spur discussions or add depth to understanding of issues of the American involvement.

The next exhibition scheduled is at the Massachusetts State House May 5th-15th.

On this website you can see the progress of the project, apply to be part of the project, see the upcoming exhibition schedule, and donate to help keep 100 Faces going.

Thank you for viewing 100 Faces of War Experience.


Matt Mitchell
Director, Artist
100 Faces of War Experience


Apply

If you have experience in Iraq or Afghanistan please consider filling out the application on this website. If you have questions or would like to suggest someone you know to be part of the project, send me an email at:

matt@100facesofwarexperience.org

The project need your help

This project is made possible by public support. If this project has touched you and you believe it is a valuable way to remember the American experience of these wars, please consider a donation. Please take a look at the "donate" part of this site.

For people interested in the technique used to create the paintings for 100 Faces see the American Artist article featuring 100 Faces.


Quotes From Viewers

“I had the moving and unforgettable opportunity to view the 100 Faces of War exhibit in St. Paul, MN, in August 2007. Almost immediately 100 Faces helped me begin to listen differently, more intently. While viewing the exhibition, I found myself turning off my own inner voice so I could listen to others, and I’ve continued to do that in order to hear others more clearly in this contentious debate. These beautiful faces and their stories are such poignant and important reminders of the extraordinary sacrifices many Americans. This exhibit needs to be seen by more Americans, most especially those responsible for our government’s policies and actions in the Middle East.”

Susan Vento
Education Minnesota Field Staff

"The depth and heart of these portraits connects us to the human beings whose lives have been changed by service in Iraq and Afghanistan. They reveal the individual humanity of each solider, Marine, or activist, breaking down the stereotypes and categories that so often separate us. In the safety of deeply gazing into these "100 faces", we open ourselves to their struggles and their experiences, gaining the depth of understanding needed to begin transcending our current civilian - military divide. Holding these faces in our hearts, we may be better able to create a positive and integrated future together."

Susan Leary
Program Coordinator
Veterans Education Project

"The emotional power and visceral impact of veterans sharing their stories about war and homecoming make a consistent and deep impression on high school students. One Hundred Faces of War offers a similarly intense and personal experience. The scale and vividness of the art invites viewers to empathize with and engage with the individuals who may have been invisible inside historical and contemporary events. Teachers prize and students absorb such extraordinary opportunities to share in the human experience."

Thomas Fricke
History Teacher
Amherst Regional High School

"It is exactly the way that the average human brain will be able to take in and process the amazing enormity of this war ...one person, one story, one face, at a time."

Heidi E Y Stemple, author