Existing comment:
Timothy Washington
born Los Angeles, CA 1946
1A
1972
etched aluminum, leather, metal studs, nail, and draft card
Private Collection, Courtesy of Tilton Gallery, NY
"1A" was the Selective Service designation for someone available for active military service during the Vietnam War. Washington's title testifies to the personal impact of the draft, especially in African American communities, which were disproportionately affected by it for much of the conflict. Etched in aluminum is a self-portrait of Washington and, behind him, his older brother. Washington stretches his arms toward a tombstone-like piece of leather in which he has embedded his defaced draft card; his name is replaced with "John Doe," his 1A status marked "forever." His brother reaches forward, perhaps to prevent the younger man's defiant hand gesture, possibly to pull him back from a premature grave. |