The Graffiti of War Project Returns from Kuwait and Iraq!

Online, July 12, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The widening divide between soldier and civilian grows with each year. It has become more and more difficult to understand the life and trials of a deployed soldier and their family. Although people support our brave men and women, they don't grasp the magnitude of what affect this conflict; these deployments have on the families and on the mind and soul of the soldier.

Our Expedition team has returned from Kuwait and Iraq in June 2011 documenting the art spread across the war-torn country if Iraq and staging country of Kuwait. The team consisted of two combat veterans, Jaeson "Doc" Parsons (2005-2006) and Andrea "Andi" Sandoval (2003-2004), who travelled to the Forward Operating Bases, Logistical Staging Areas, and other outpost in the Kuwaiti and Iraqi region bringing back images of the art created by our service-members.

Our purpose is to gather art created on unconventional canvases by military service members, from spray-painted slogans on captured enemy vehicles, to graffiti seen inside porta-potties, to elegant and dramatic unit emblems painted on blast walls. In documenting these images created by Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen, our aim is to give a unique glimpse into the minds of these warfighters. To give an inside look at what has gone almost entirely unseen to the vast majority of the public. Many of these images are raw and created in the moment on unconventional canvases in a very unconventional war. This art, this emotion on canvas will help civilians understand what it is to be separated from family, to lose one of your own in a blink of an eye, to get a feel, a taste of what months fighting a very unpopular war is like. We want to bridge that divide that is growing, we want to bring back the empathy that is lacking for these men and women, and empathy is an emotion that requires understanding, which is our mission: To bring understanding to civilians not familiar with the emotions of war.

This project is started in the USA, but would not be complete without the art from the warfighters of all the other countries who have served and still serve to this day in Iraq and Afghanistan. We want to show all these sides; in battle we are all brothers and sisters. This project has always sought to showcase the art and the stories behind that art, not just from the American point of view but from a diverse, global perspective. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan affected the entire world and our mission is to ensure everyone's story is told.

From the stories of the British Paratrooper, to the Dutch Infantryman, the Iraqi civilian to the Ugandan guard. Our mission, our focus is not in American Nationalism, but to instill a greater understanding of the individual perspective, independent of nationality, through their art, their stories because this is their war.

The premise behind this project is twofold: to bring about understanding, foster empathy and bridge the widening gap between service members and civilians through the creation of the published book. Upon the completion of the book, use a large portion of the proceeds from the sale to fund the Graffiti of War Foundation offering support and healing through artistic creation by those afflicted with the silent wounds of war, PTSD.

The Graffiti of War Project is also creating a book showcasing the "skin graffiti" of our brave warfighters. Using the world's fascination with Skin Art to raise awareness about PTSD. This book will further bridge the gap of understanding between civilians and those who have served with honour and dedication. We are accepting tattoos from all wars and conflicts, peacetime and wartime, veterans, service members and their families. All of this skin graffiti tells a story and compiled together, it offers a broader, more complete picture of the culture of the Armed Forces.

Through their stories, their art, their traditions we can bring understanding.

For more information, please contact:
Andrea Sandoval, Marketing and PR Director [email protected]
Jaeson "Doc" Parsons Founder and Director, Project Operation [email protected]

For more information about the International side of the project contact:
Inge Bakker, European Director of Operations [email protected]