Jim Pollock Question and Answer Main Page
JIM POLLOCK INTERVIEW (copyright) Jim Pollock
4/7/99
Interview questions by Student (Senior), University of Hartford, for a research paper.
Questions revolve around the subjects of Vietnam Combat Art, Censorship, Forbidden subjects and other related questions.
Q: DID THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE ARMY CENSOR ANY OF YOUR ARTWORK?
POLLOCK: No, there was no intervention whatsoever with the work I did a soldier artists. We had open travel orders and could travel anywhere we wanted at our own discretion. I would like to put the rest the idea that the program was a propaganda project. This is not the first time I have encountered this argument. During the Vietnam War, the Army's Vietnam Combat Art Program was not a propaganda tool. From my experience I believe the Army was sincere in allowing such a program to exist for historical reason. There may have been participants who leaned this way or that, but it was definitely not because someone was orchestrating things within the military.
Let me point out that during the Vietnam War, the Combat Art Program was instigated and developed by civilians. Artists assigned to Combat Artist Teams in Vietnam were chosen by civilians on a competitive basis.
Eugenia Nowlin and Marian McNaughton envisioned and started the Army's Vietnam Combat Art Program. Eugenia Nowlin was a civilian, and Director of the Army Arts and Crafts. Marian McNaughton, also a civilian, was Curator for the Center of Military History art at the time. The two of them convinced the army they needed the program for historical purposes.
During the Vietnam War, the draft was still in place which is much different than a mercenary military, which is essentially what we have today. In general, draftees were not fond of being in the military. Military service was forced on them by social duty to their country. A conscripted military has two positive features that have been overlooked. Drafting civilians into the army educated and helped them better understand how government works from the inside. Also, when civilians were drafted they were skeptical and tended to keep an eye on how the military is behaving from inside the organization. In my opinion based my experience, most draftees would not willingly become part of a military propaganda machine. Many artists chosen to participate in the Vietnam Combat Art Program were not career soldiers.
Q: WAS THERE A FORBIDDEN SUBJECT(S) THAT ARTISTS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PORTRAY?
POLLOCK: Subject matter was broadly outlined in the original application materials. (See CIRCULAR No. 28-30, Announcement of US Army Vietnam Combat Artist Program for FY 1968 on my WEB site). From a practical point of view there just wasn't any restriction on subject, style or anything else. No one ever followed up or checked to see if we were following the guidelines. For example one of the guidelines said: '"'. . . portraits are prohibit ted . . .'"' I have seen many portraits that were completed by soldier artists and have since been published by the Army.
IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A COMPETITION FOR SELECTED ARTISTS. WAS THE COMPETITION STRICTLY TO SEE WHO HAD ARTISTIC TALENT? OR PERHAPS, THE GOVERNMENT USED THE COMPETITION AS A WAY OF PICKING STYLES THEY THOUGHT WERE '"'APPROPRIATE.'"'
POLLOCK: The Army did not use the competition as a way of picking styles they thought were '"'appropriate.'"' Actually, it was just the opposite. Civilians picked the artists and they wanted as wide a range of styles as they could find. One of the objectives of the program was to include for historical purposes as many different artistic points of view from a soldier's perspective as there were soldier artists. The application for the program specifically stated '"'...emphasis should be on high quality and a personal style.'"' The same document also states '"'As the work produced by the artists comprises a historical record it is important that the subject matter of the artwork be recognizable. However, all soldier artists will be encouraged to depict their subjects in their own way.'"' (This information can be found in the document CIRCULAR No. 28-30 on my WEB site)
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