Only You Can Prevent A Forest

Neon wall sculpture, 9” x 7’2”, 2022

“Only you can Prevent a Forest” was the unofficial motto of the U.S. military’s chemical warfare program during the Vietnam War.  The motto, a bizarre riff on the 1947 Smokey Bear slogan used to prevent forest fires, referenced the aerial spraying of herbicides like Agent Orange to destroy trees and crops during the war.

During this timeframe throughout the 1950s -1970s, neon signs were a popular advertising form. I have reinterpreted the motto by combining the medium of neon with the text into an absurd and uncomfortable directive.  The glowing green wall piece directs the viewer to take an action that seems incompatible with today’s 21st-century environmental messaging.  Transforming the text into a vibrant neon sculpture illuminates the ties between agrichemical companies and the U.S. military.