The very last thing I want to do, is up-set people, no one is silly enough to believe Hollywood, and war is harsh to say the very lease bitter. This little 1-72 Higgins boat diorama was basically made from odds and ends, the reason I have posted this is to ask a straight question for a straight answer - Is this sort of thing of graphic bad taste ?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3292412965_6c41e755b8.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/3292412949_22cff37ec0.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3292412939_211fe396bb.jpg
I built this last year, using my son's grey plastic soilders, an Airfix model I had totally forgot I had, and just pieces of rubbish laying around my shed. Look forward to any reply as this is bothering me.

Of course each will react in their own way and you'll get a lot of personal responses.

I feel that mostly from a respect for their sacrifice this type of action is not normally portrayed and I personally don't like to view it.

But it's your diorama you can build them as you like; just don't be surprised by various reactions if you choose to display them.

Bob

Working links:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3292412965_6c41e755b8.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/3292412949_22cff37ec0.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3292412939_211fe396bb.jpg

It is decidely violent, but accurate? I don't really know. Bad taste? I don't think so.

Jim

I don't find it being in bad taste. Hell, we're artists. We create what we "see" and if you saw it that way, you build it that way.

Let me help ya with those pics....





We build models for ourselves, not for anyone else. The only issue with making and posting pics of a dio is if it were age-restricted content. Nudity, etc.

As far as the modeling, hey, not too shabby there. I like what you did with what you had.

Cuhail

Thank you for the help with my photo's, I have tried several times before, but just can't grasp the idea of these pesky computers, and many thanks for the replies.

Nothing in bad taste to my eye's there, and as you rightly point out, war is indeed bitter, and harsh. You only have to see the opening sequence's of Saving Private Ryan, or Band of Brother's to name a few, to see the harsh reality of combat. There will alway's be those who criticise other's work, be it due to the wrong shade of olive drab or sand yellow, or too many/not enough rivet's. At the end of the day, if it please's you and you get enjoyment out of doing it, then keep doing it. This is after all, supposed to be a fun hobby. One that I find very theraputic, but unable to spend enough time at the bench building stuff.

In reality, it's called war, and this shows people exactly what it is all about at the buisness end. It is a perspective that most wont build or paint, exceptions ( time life w.w.2series). I have a dio that has two dead British infantry in it and have not heard an offencive word yet. I would tone down the blood a whole bunch. Too much reality tends to go too far in the publics eyes. Good composition and idea though.

I don’t personally think it’s a bad taste. Nor I feel offended by it in any way. But I understand it’s also a matter of personal preference. On the other hand, I don’t have any need what-so-ever to depict scenes like that. For many reasons, 5-years old in the household being one and some kind of feeling of respect towards the dead generally being the next. Majority of modelers realize the obvious “paradox” – the horrors of war on one side and subject of our fascination, interest and hobby on the other side, both at the same time. The ways how to settle that paradox vary from person to person. At the end of the day, for me this hobby is about relaxation and stress relief. I feel that focusing on death would harass that purpose, so I don’t go there. When it comes to "art", I believe that indirect mood invocation goes miles further than graphic presentation. I see nothing "artictic" in the bloodshed… Just my 2 cents.

-A-

Hi Alec i wouldn't call it in bad taste when me and my brother were growing we had literally thousands of plastic soldiers in various poses and we did exactly the same when you've seen some of the more graphic war films out there you want to replicate what you've seen in a diorama at the end of the day it's your dio you build what you want to show

The eye of the beholder - if it is in bad taste to you, then yes. If it is not in bad taste to you, then no. I build for myself so I don't really concern my self if others love/hate, like/dislike, or don't have an opinion on my stuff...although I WOULD like it if folks said "Hey, that's a pretty damn good model"!

Cordially,

Dennis

Bad taste? no. Interesting dio? yes
My only comment/observation would be that I do not think that the guys being thrown in the air etc. by the blast would have the copious amounts of blood on them the second that they are 'hit' Now, if shrapnel disembowels them or tears a limb off, that may be different.
But depicted the way you have them the blood might seem a bit gratuitous.
Cheers,
Charles

The very moment of amputation of limb is basicly bloodless. There is some kind of natural reaction of organism that causes temporary closing of all cut vains. Cuted limb and wound in it's place starts bleeding few seconds/minutes after sudden amputation.

As long as you had fun doing it. It is good to have an idea and bring it to life per se.

I liked how you used Peanut Butter for the surf. (jk)

Firstly, thank you to everyone that has responded to this awkward little question, as detail of models are clearly becoming better, and the readily available dead bodies of both animal and human are such temptations to build ever graphic dioramas, at this stage and from the response, I feel that perhaps we're not quite ready for this type of action, my Higgins boat landing on some beach was a simple solid plastic dio made basically from pieces simply laying around, with these beautiful 1-35 soilders and incredible detail I can see how one's imagination can run wild, and then seriously up-set people. For the time being, I'll stay with the static display models. Once again, thank you to everyone.

I felt that your scene was fine with the exception of the large amount of bright red blood which I didn't feel would have appeared as the victims were still being propelled in the air from the force of the blast.
The type of action depicted in the scene is fine. The amount of blood depicted seems unrealistic.
Cheers,
Charles

I see no problem in depicting a bit of blood and gore. It reminds us of the horrors of war and the sacrifices that soldiers made for our freedom. It also reminds me that when I am putting a kit together, the machine that I am depicing was used to kill people, and I think that a lot of modelers out there forget that. These tanks, planes, warships and people that we are depicting were used to kill people.

My 2 cents

Alec,I think it´s not bad at all. I am not partial to creating these kind of scenes but I do respect that you haven´t gone too far. As a form of art it goes nowhere near the kind of stuff that Damien Hurst does & look how much his work sells for.(I said look how much it sells for ,not what it´s worth,) I wouldn´t worry about it because after all everybody is going to have different opinions ,right? Great avatar Dean.

Thanks mate