Vietnam Veterans Memorial

is powerful precisely because it is not representational. The names of the soldiers, when they are inscribed in Lin's memorial, bring home the death of these men to us.

How does the artwork reveal beings other than itself? Heidegger is not claiming that art must be representational, or "realistic". The Wall is certainly not representational. In fact, its lack of images is one reason why it was controversial when it was first proposed, and today a highly realistic statue of three soldiers, by another artist, stands near Maya Lin's black V. But, skillful as it is, the realistic statue draws much less attention than the wall. The representational artwork, in this case, does less to illuminate reality than the nonrepresentational artwork. The names of the soldiers, when they are inscribed in Lin's memorial, bring home the death of these men to us.

is an opening in the earth itself, almost like an open grave. It is hard to define the limits of the monument; it includes not only the stone blocks, but the whole trench in the ground, and certainly at least some of the surrounding plot, maybe to the whole territory of the United States, and everything built on it.

But let's return to our example. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is engaged with the earth in the most obvious sense: it is actually below ground level. It is integrated with its natural surroundings as few monuments are - for this monument is not just a man-made panel, but an opening in the earth itself, almost like an open grave. It is hard to define the limits of the monument· it includes not only the stone blocks, but the whole trench in the ground, a~d certainly at least some of the surrounding plot. The meaning of this monument tends to extend to the whole field in which it is installed - maybe to the whole territory of the United States, and everything built on it.

vietnam veterans memorial, n.All

vietnam veterans memorial