The Kissinger Mind 1979

Editor: So, here we have Peter Kennard’s striking photomontage, "The Kissinger Mind." It feels like a punch to the gut, doesn't it? All that visual information crammed together... What do you see in it, beyond the obvious critique? Curator: It’s a brutal image, certainly. Kennard’s layered symbolism is quite potent. The American flag distorted in the glasses, the bomber piercing the mind… It speaks to the cold calculation of power, doesn't it? What does the crying child reflected in the other lens tell us, I wonder? Editor: Maybe it’s the human cost, ignored? It’s like he’s saying policy decisions are made without empathy. Curator: Precisely. Kennard often uses these jarring juxtapositions to expose uncomfortable truths. I think it's a reminder that even seemingly detached political actions have very real, very human consequences. Editor: It definitely gave me a lot to think about, a powerful reminder of art's ability to provoke.