Actuality #10, 2002 silver, copper 8 x 4 x 4 1/2" Photo: David L. Smith

These pieces engage memory through a close inspection of the impact of war on the individual. Veterans carry with them complex experiences arising from the realities of war and the vulnerability of memory to the passage of time. Through my role as an artist, I have tried to document veterans' stories by making their oral histories visible in artwork. The "Actualities" are meant to reconstruct or convey their experiences. Illustrating the residual effects of war on the identities of the veterans and those around them is fundamental to the premise of the work.

These mouthpieces, symbolic of the veterans' voices, function not only as corks that impede the flow of memories, but also as repositories for memory. The "Actualities" become a conduit for their reflections.

Actuality #12, 2002 copper, silver, bronze, rubber 15 x 3 3/4 x 3 3/4" Photo: David Smith