Cut from the Headlines

Unique to First Street’s show are student interpretations of each scene. Regarding “Execution,” Jennifer Lavis writes, “The image contrasts the barbarism of an old-fashioned execution technique with the technology of today. The soldier in the left hand corner is recording a video of the execution with his camera phone. This image juxtaposes the old and new world when it comes to war: cell phones and lynching … Birk expresses the fact that we only see glimpses of the war through various photos and video clips, and this creates a very ‘black and white’ view of the war in Iraq. We see a strong disparity between what is shown online … and the self-censored stories carefully chosen by television news.”

For “Detention,” Lauren Marallo notes, “In the foreground of the print, the little black dog that appears so often throughout the series ominously sniffs out hidden citizens. In this image, the dog represents the relentless scouring of soldiers to discover their enemy. The dog can be read as a soldier on the United States side due to the fact that the dog does not appear to be from the streets: it has a collar on … He appears to be a predator who remains loyal to the allies he sides with, uncovering his enemy.”

The student observations pleased Birk. “They obviously spent a lot of time looking at each one,” he said. “They saw things I was hoping someone would notice.” They also extrapolated connections he hadn’t thought of, he continued, such as the recurring dog. “That wasn’t something I’d planned on doing.” In fact, Birk wasn’t even able to see the work in its entirety until months after finishing it. Making such large pieces in such a small space meant Birk’s team could only put one up at a time. It wasn’t until a showing in Cal State Long Beach’s giant gallery room that he experienced the fullness of what he and his collaborators had achieved. With typical reserve, he called the moment, “rewarding.”

Fortunately, Humboldt County residents can view “Depravities of War” without so much struggle. Even if you checked out the show during Arts Alive!, I encourage you to return during a quieter time. The pieces ask for, and deserve, a longer moment of contemplation. Birk’s “Depravities of War” runs through May 16. First Street Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., at 422 First St., Eureka. Admission is free. For group tours, call ahead at 443-6363. More at humboldt.edu/~first.

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