Andrew Polk
Birth of Godzilla

(2009)    Acrylic on archival inkjet print mounted on panel     76"H x 96"W

Endings are beginnings. The horrible monster, Godzilla , was born out of atomic radiation, such as that resulting from the nuclear bombings (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Bikini Atoll.) The nuclear devastation of Hiroshima at the close of World War II marked the beginning of an era.

In this painting, Japanese toys, taken from internet ads of 2009, overlay a U.S. Air Force photograph depicting Hiroshima on August 7, 1945, taken one day after the atomic bomb, "Little Boy", destroyed five square miles of the city along with countless human lives.         Details