A Decade-Long Day

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The New York Sun

“9/11 did not end on 9/11. For American soldiers, 9/11 has been a decade-long day,” says James Panero, noted art critic, Managing Editor of The New Criterion, and curator of “The Joe Bonham Project,” currently on display at Storefront. “As of this summer, over 44,000 troops have been wounded in conflicts following the attacks of September 11. Over 1,300 of them have undergone partial or full amputations. ‘The Joe Bonham Project’ represents the efforts of wartime illustrators to document their rehabilitation.”

This exhibition assembles portraits of wounded soldiers drawn by members of the International Society of War Artists and the Society of Illustrators. Chief among them is Michael D. Fay, who held the position of combat artist for the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2010, and was deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan. Fay organized the project earlier this year.

“The Project takes its name from the central character in Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo’s 1938 novel of a World War I soldier unable to communicate with the outside world due to the extent of his wounds,” explains Panero. “Through portraiture, artists from both military and civilian life now work to ensure that today’s soldiers do not become tomorrow’s Joe Bonhams. I am pleased to connect these artists with New York’s most vital artistic neighborhood and proud to present their work, for the first time, as our city marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11.”

“The Joe Bonham Project” runs through September 18 at Storefront, 16 Wilson Avenue, between Noll and George streets, Brooklyn, 646-361-8512, storefrontbk.com.

Franklin Einspruch is an artist and writer.


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