Architecture is undeniably the most widely represented form of art in human culture, mainly due to the broad range of its practical uses. However, as with any art form, it is essential to consider other aspects and functions of architecture, including aesthetic, communicative, historical, and commemorative. These are especially relevant regarding memorials, which in most cases serve some combination or all of these functions.
Writing about Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM), Charles Griswold argues that a philosophical rather than purely technical approach should be employed in discussing its controversial nature. In his words, “…To reflect philosophically on specific monuments… requires something more than a simply technical discussion… We must also understand the monument’s symbolism, social context, and the effects its architecture works on those who participate in it…” (Griswold 1986, 74). Indeed, the minimalistic and seemingly simplistic design of the VVM is primarily aimed at drawing the viewer’s attention to its contents and the immediate idea rather than its form. In this regard, the controversy surrounding the Memorial reflects a much deeper struggle of the American society on the verge of political correctness and national self-identification. “To define what it means to be American” means accepting different, often uncomfortable aspects of national history and embracing responsibility before all its actors (Senie and Webster 1992, 1). Therefore, the arguments presented by Griswold deserve recognition or at least deep consideration.
In his article, Griswold refers to the geometry and location of the monument relative to the broader architectural ensemble in the area, including other monuments and significant buildings in the vicinity. The author puts Lincoln and Washington monuments in the same setting as the VVM, discarding the notion of the Memorial’s geographic isolation. Maya Lin’s background as an environmental activist well-versed in carefully incorporating the landscape into her works has helped in designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as well (Experience Grand Rapids 2022; Harris and Zucker 2013). Stretched between the two monuments, the Memorial invites viewers to consider the symbolic connection between death and rebirth (Griswold 1986). At the same time, its arrowhead form depicts the fallen soldiers’ names on the warm and bright southern side, simultaneously pointing toward the dark and cold north, further adding to the Memorial’s two-edged symbolism of a voyage.
However, its context and design clearly distinguish it from those monuments, primarily through the contrasting architectural forms. As Griswold notes, “…The obelisk is a heliocentric monument… The VVM, by contrast, is a chthonic memorial…” (Griswold 1986, 86). Therefore, the Memorial’s function, in contrast to the similarly minimalistic yet much more glorious Washington monument, does not lie in a cheerful and proud glorification of the past achievement of the American nation (Savage 1986). The obelisk, the city’s symbolic center, honors the nation’s most important Founding Father and, through him, the American nation as a whole (National Park Service 2022). Instead, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial encourages silent and thoughtful commemoration of the American soldiers, emphasized through the Memorial’s dedication to veterans rather than the war. The grounded and stretched rather than standing form of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial refers to the ancient multicultural meaning of earth – the source of life, the home of the dead, and the symbol of eternal rebirth through the natural cycles.
Charles Griswold’s article gives a valuable alternative perspective on the nature of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Emphasizing its cultural, political, and philosophical significance, the author invites the broader public to consider more profound implications of the Memorial’s design. Senie and Webster further elaborate on Griswold’s views, raising existential questions of the American identity through the interpretations of the main national monuments and memorials.
References
Griswold, Charles. 1986. “The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial and the Washington Mall: Philosophical Thoughts on Political Iconography.” In Critical Issues in Public Art, edited by Harriet Senie and Sally Webster, 71–100. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Savage, Kirk. 1986. “The Self-Made Monument: George Washington and the Fight to Erect a National Memorial.” In Critical Issues in Public Art, edited by Harriet Senie and Sally Webster, 5–32. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Senie, Harriet, and Sally Webster. 1992. “Part I: Defining National Values.” In Critical Issues in Public Art, edited by Harriet Senie and Sally Webster, 1–4. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Experience Grand Rapids. 2022. “Five Facts About Maya Lin, the Artist of Ecliptic.” Web.
National Park Service. 2022. “History & Culture.” Web.
Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. 2013. “Maya Lin, Vietnam Veterans Memorial.” YouTube video. Web.