THE PROPHET (PROFIT)
1990 - 1992

"Desert Storm", sounds like an epic film, doesn't it?

It was a little war that began with a six month build up and prelude in early autumn 1990.
There was a lot of saber rattling, threats and name calling.
And of course the allies wanted to be totally prepared to overwhelm Iraq and suffer minimal casualties.
The P.R. was really unprecedented and paralleled the release of a Hollywood block buster.
And then war began and ended in the winter of 1991.
Like any sane adult I felt it was sadly unavoidable. The Iraqis had to get out of Kuwait.

It was not, however, my initial reaction to the concept of war with Iraq!

War is inherently evil; innocents die and suffer.
It doesn't matter what governments spin and expect us to believe.
There are no good wars.
I fear war almost as much as the people who tell me they are necessary.
And I seriously doubt there can be a righteous war.

Granted, fighting for liberty or against aggression can be the only course.
I regret that, but I accept it!
And I see that it has happened more then once in human history.
There is always a war going on somewhere.

It's a murderous, horrible business, big business.

There is nothing new in what I've said!

"Desert Storm", was about oil.
Here again, nothing new!

Saddam Hussein wanted Kuwait! He wanted Kuwait to improve Iraq's access to the Persian Gulf to export his oil and take over Kuwait's assets.
The George Bush administration and his force of allies agreed to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
There was more intrigue and embarrassing politics. There isn't space here for all of it.

I am not a historian or professional political analyst, but I keep up with current world events.
And my purpose here is to explain my installation "The Profit".
However it's impossible to tell you about my installation without speaking of the events that gave me cause to re-act!

I was confused by this war! My wisdom is limited, unlike that of the President of the United States. My hindsight and foresight were not as acute as the leader, Bush!
But, wasn't Saddam our guy, our ally the one we gave so much to?
Didn't the U.S. and the West sell him allot of guns, bombs and the chemistry for war?

War is as ambiguous as politics! Addressing this ambiguity was to be my statement. It had to be an epic statement. I had recently purchased a big new studio and I wanted to utilize my resources to their maximum potential. So, I planned from the beginning to create a presence that was encompassing, uncompromisingly negative and large.

No good guys; just monsters at each others throats.

A statement prophesying the profit of death that war guarantees its participants.
History repeating itself for a new audience-

I always liked epic Disney cartoons!
My main character in this installation would be a blinded giant.
Physically superior to any human opponent!

Conjured by the giant's own aggression was a dragon.
Brought forth by the challenge of this physically and metaphorically "blind" brute.

The dragon represents the vicious automatic mechanics of modern war.
He has an immediate trigger reaction as any opponent enters his sites.
Absolute instinct,,, no emotion, ever!
Dealer of death
Grinding out the harvest of doom in the sands of time-

To the opposite side of the behemoth away from the dragon is the chain the monster blindly grasps and holds fast.
As if it was his possession.
It is linked to the historical legacy of war's devastation and....RUIN!

War is the periodic ruination of humanities accomplishments.
Ruin is war's only legacy.

The prophecy of "The Prophet" is, "the profit of destruction and death caused by war."

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