ATOMIC COWBOY / TAKE IT HOME Exhibition response - Jaden Bulatao

In both exhibitions, Atomic Cowboy and Take it Home, They both take on the themes of destructive weapons, like nuclear weapons, and how it not only just affected the people in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but it affected others who are outside of it, like the bomb named “Dirty Harry” in the US, which it was tested in 1951 to 1958 in Nevada, U.S. These themes and messages qualify as a form of activists, because both of these exhibitions raise awareness about the impact of the mining of uranium, the testing of atomic bombs, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Conqueror was filmed near the Nuclear testing range of Yucca Flat in Nevada in 1954, which caused an unusually high number of cancer deaths among the cast and crew members, because of the radiation. Of the two hundred and twenty cat and crew members of “The Conqueror”, only one hundred and fifty cast members were later contacted by the radiation from the nuclear testing range, ninety one of the cast have developed cancer, and forty six of them have died by a disease in 1980, which includes John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, and producer-director, Dick Powell. The curator is highlighting the issues of nuclear weapons, which starts from the mining of uranium in Congo, the testing of nuclear weapons in Nevada, and to the use of the nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Secondly, it tried to highlight the works of minority artists that otherwise would have been ignored. The readings connect with the exhibit’s themes and messages, because it’s telling us that silencing the topic of nuclear weapons and its impact will make it irrelevant and not so important, and it will make us prone to repeat the same mistake. As per the reading, the activist’s curator role is to bring out the issue and, at the same time, present the artists that were otherwise would have been ignored. Authors, historians, and curators can be activists, so they can point out issues that are often ignored and hard to accept. Authors can write about and create something that talks about the said issue that was ignored or hard to accept. Historians can talk about the events, by providing accurate depictions of actual events that took place, while the artists can create a powerful and impactful statement with their works. Curators can highlight, or bring out, works from minority artists to drive home to showcase the common theme, such as the impact of nuclear weapons.




“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” - Carter G. Woodson




“If there is one thing that you can do, leave something for somebody else . . . You can work for somebody else’s freedom. You can leave something for somebody else’s child.” - Thornton Dial

Nuke Cuisine, 1992

Nuke Cuisine is an artwork that consists of a parody of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. It reminded me of a similar artwork that was made by Andy Warhol. Instead of "Cambell's Cream of Mushroom Soup", it's revised to become "Camphell's Cloud of Mushroom Soup" to highlight the issue with nuclear weapons. The message that's conveying in this artwork is that it's talking about the impact of nuclear weapons, parodying the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Cowboy's Dream 1992

Finally, this artwork is called, Cowboy's Dream. This Artwork consists of a 1950's refrigerator that resembles an open casket, which contains the earth inside, which is moving in a subtle motion as if it was breathing. The songs of Roy Rodgers' and Gene Autry's Cowboy music were emitting out of the fridge. The message that's conveying is that it's highlighting the lesser known nuclear testing, and how it affected, not just the lead actors and directors, but also the crew and the Native American tribes.