2010.54.1495

• peace
• war

Poster has a black background that fades to a light gray. At the top are white outlines of flailing bodies. The bottomhas red and black text. It reads, 'Hiroshima August 6, 1945/ Portland August 6, 1983." Below is, "When the first atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima thirty-eight years ago, human beings who were within three hundred yards of ground zero were instantly vaporized by the searing heat, leaving behind only their shadows. The remnants of these innocent victims provide the image and theme for the Shadow Project,a solemn memorial with a singular purpose: to help people understand and imagine the disappearance of life through nuclear war. The silent, anonymous shadows scattered throught the city of Portland are representations of a sight which, if a bomb had been detonated,would be seen by no one. Unlike the shadows left by nuclear holocuast, the images painted on the streets are non-permanent." The Shadow Project began in Portland in 1982 and became the International Shadow Project in 1985, with artistic memorials taking place in cities around the world. [LMC]