Kristopher Battles
Encyclopedia
Kristopher J. Battles is an American
artist, known as the last remaining USMC
combat artist in 2010.
supported more than 70 war artists in World War II; and the number of combat artists has declined since the end of the Vietnam War
. In July 2010, the Corps supports only one last combat artist. Unless something happens, Sergeant Battles will become notable as the last of his kind.
Since World War I, a long line of American servicemen-artists have produced artwork based on their experiences in combat. The USMC artists have documented the life of Marines in the field. Like his predecessors, Sgt. Battles' artwork develops during a process of "balancing a tactical eye as a Marine" with the "artist's visual eye" and also noticing the way the light is bouncing off the body armor. Battles' deployment to Iraq gave him a sharper eye for what can be portrayed in a combat zone.
"Go to war, do art" is the motto of a Marine combat artist. The mission is to capture images of war on canvases and sketchpads.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist, known as the last remaining USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
combat artist in 2010.
Military career
Battles joined the Corps in 1986. He served as a computer operator, combat correspondent and chaplain’s assistant. He had to reenlist for active duty as a combat artist.War artist
The United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
supported more than 70 war artists in World War II; and the number of combat artists has declined since the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In July 2010, the Corps supports only one last combat artist. Unless something happens, Sergeant Battles will become notable as the last of his kind.
Since World War I, a long line of American servicemen-artists have produced artwork based on their experiences in combat. The USMC artists have documented the life of Marines in the field. Like his predecessors, Sgt. Battles' artwork develops during a process of "balancing a tactical eye as a Marine" with the "artist's visual eye" and also noticing the way the light is bouncing off the body armor. Battles' deployment to Iraq gave him a sharper eye for what can be portrayed in a combat zone.
"Go to war, do art" is the motto of a Marine combat artist. The mission is to capture images of war on canvases and sketchpads.
Honors
- 2010: United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, Merit Award, First Place Combat Art.
See also
- War artistWar artistA war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how "war shapes lives." War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war which is often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.- Definition and context:A...
- American official war artistsAmerican official war artistsAmerican official war artists have been part of the American military since 1917. Artists are unlike the objective camera lens which records only a single instant and no more. The war artist captures instantaneous action and conflates earlier moments of the same scene within one compelling...