Photos by Debbie Eynon Finley
Filmmaker David Modigliani takes a break outside his East Austin home. Modigliani's first feature length film, CRAWFORD, premiered at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival; Austin musician Guy Forsyth plays a tune on his harmonica. Many of Forsyth's songs lament the war in Iraq and other issues pertaining to the Bush administration.

The Art of War

By Karie Meltzer
AUSTIN – During wartime, artists and celebrities have perhaps the loudest voices and largest stages to share their thoughts and opinions. Some insult the President onstage. Others play concerts for the troops or make controversial documentaries. People may not like them and, in fact, may boycott their albums or films altogether. But for artists with household names like the anti-war Dixie Chicks, the patriotic country star Toby Keith or muckraking filmmaker Michael Moore, their messages are still heard loud and clear.

But what about artists who don’t generate much media presence or national recognition?

A small number of such less-heralded Texas creatives are using art to express ideas about the war in Iraq without giant stages, national fame or even highly divisive messages. It seems there’s a trend among some Texas artists to shy away from the black or white, anti- or pro-war means of expression. While subtlety may keep them from landing on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, local artists are getting attention from fans and critics nonetheless. Perhaps it’s a sold-out show, a review in a prominent magazine or an invite to an exhibition. Whatever it is, people are listening, watching and seeing these politically-inspired works.

“When you’re writing with an agenda, you can easily alienate those you want to affect,” says Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsyth. “Connecting with people, finding ways to instigate empathy…those are the best possible use of your skills as an artist.”

Forsyth, 39, says political songwriting is a balancing act. He’s written a few songs about Iraq, but some are more directly anti-war than others. “Hometown Boy” is inspired by his brother’s tour of Iraq during the Gulf War. “Mama’s Favorite” describes President Bush as “a schoolboy with a gun.” A review from AustinExperience.com, a local entertainment Web site, even describes Forsyth’s political songwriting as, “an intelligent counter to many Toby Keith songs.”

Forsyth says he doesn’t support the war. That message isn’t how his fans know him, though - but that could be a product of his surroundings. Being anti-war in Austin doesn’t exactly set a musician apart from the rest. The singer says he and his friends can’t help but write about the war. It’s hard to ignore.

“I assert that though rhythm, rhyme and melody, you can project means into the media. I believe people can be changed by songs,” he says.

The microphone can be a powerful tool. When Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks insulted President Bush at a London show, the band lost a huge fan base. Forsyth isn’t a national celebrity, but as a local performer for over 20 years, he’s well known among live music fans in Texas. You can hear him on Austin’s KGSR and his shows are almost always packed. People are listening, and they have been for years. Even if he’s not reaching audiences across the pond, the statements he makes on stage can ripple through Austin. But his messages aren’t all about being anti-war or even anti-Bush. And because of that, he may be able to get his ideas out better than if he were alienating fans.

The paintbrush may not make noise, but war paintings might. Marc Levine, a 20 year-old University of Houston student and painter is a newbie on the arts scene, but his collection of paintings of Iraqi civilians is starting to create a little buzz on the art Web site deviantART.com. He began the works last May and completed them this February. He’s already held small exhibitions on two Texas college campuses this year. Levine says he’s not trying to make a name as a controversial artist.

“Dissent is an essential thing, but it can come in lot of different forms,” Levine says. “It can come in shouting, ‘End the war!’ or it can come through blogging or going to the streets. I just feel that through art, I can get my message out most effectively.”

Levine doesn’t paint anti-war words across his canvas. He paints Iraqi civilians from war photographs he finds online because he says the public, not just the media, tends to ignore the civilian side of the war in Iraq. The works are abstract, full of bright colors with an emphasis on the subject’s facial expressions.

When Levine started sketching in a long hallway leading to the cafeteria at the college’s downtown campus, he says, “People would stop by and say, ‘Hey, what are you drawing?’ and not see right away that I was drawing Iraqis. So I could see their eyes are attracted to it before they even see what it is. It draws them in,” Levine says.

The artist admits some people, even his parents, have questioned his preference for painting wounded Iraqi civilians over American soldiers. But he says he focuses on the positive feedback. He displays the paintings on an art Web site – where other artists have left comments like, “absolutely mind-blowing” and “really powerful.” He also has a slideshow of his work set to music on YouTube.

“I try to stay away from making political statements,” says Levine. “I try to stick to just opening up a reality through drawings of human beings instead.”

Everyday people affected by the war are what inspired David Modigliani to direct his first film, “Crawford.” The film is a look into the true stories of the town, population 705, then-Governor Bush claimed as his home before announcing his presidential candidacy.

Before becoming intrigued with the people of Crawford, Modigliani had a different reason for making the documentary. The 28 year-old Boston native who has called Austin home for five years mistakenly thought Bush hailed from Crawford, “so I bought…hook, line and sinker that this is where he’d grown up,” says Modigliani. “I set out to make a film indicting him for this political stagecraft, and the film still has elements of that, but I found something…a lot more compelling, which were the people of Crawford.”

The film screened at the South by Southwest music festival last month, where it received positive reviews. Christopher Kelly of Texas Monthly called Modigliani one of the four next great Texas directors.

More important to Modigliani, he says, it that the film was generally praised by the people of Crawford. Before the festival screening, the director took pains to send a copy to everyone featured in the film – and many of Crawford’s citizen-movie stars joined him at the premiere.

“I think it’s a film…people in small towns can watch and not feel like its something that has set out to preach to the choir and offend and disrespect,” says Modigliani. “I don’t think people need to see another film that’s anti-Bush.”

The film headlined at the South by Southwest Music Festival and received praise from Austin’s own Richard Linklater, director of films like “Dazed and Confused” and “Before Sunrise.” Linklater called it “a breakthrough film…a must-see of this year’s docs.” Outside the Lone Star State, VARIETY and The New York Sun have given “Crawford” good reviews.

Modigliani didn’t appear in any scenes, as is the style of popular docudrama directors like Michael Moore, but it seems the first-time director is making a name for himself – even if it is slightly more subdued than those typically conveyed by more politically outspoken filmmakers such as Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock.

Do these artists have agendas? Maybe. Do they have opinions about the war? Absolutely. Are they using the same tactics other artists use to share their ideas with their audiences? No. By exploring their thoughts on war in Iraq in unique and unexpected ways, Texas artists are showing that they don’t have to create a storm to be seen and heard.