Gary,
Just for those who do not know....I will explain what is obvious to you.
It has always bothered me that the men who busted their butts to raise the FIRST & REAL Iwo flag, have faded into the shadows, while the raisers of the second flag are solid as steel in history and in our minds too.
Look closely at the shadow figures that are ment to be fading into the mist of time; acomplished by having the outlining rods make an incomplete silouhette.
Look at the flag above them. It is solid....a real flag.
Now look at the figures that are solid in our minds and history...solid steel figures. They are raising a shadow flag.
I have them all there because in reality, thousands upon thousands of men that were on that hill from Hell, are represented here. The ones we remember, the ones we have forgotten and the ones few ever knew.
Ancient Celtic warriors were glorified and sometimes vilified by the druidic bards; whom with the art of language as poets, introduced and kept alive their history.
Now, that is done by sculptors, painters and song writers.......artists all!
My mother-in-law came to America with her sister whom through marriage, became the aunt of one of the second and historically famous flag raisers. He never made it off the hill.
Tick me off and I will do a sculpture of you
Richard "The Troubadour"
BTW: It is "functional art" in that the flag of sheet copper, gives direction and moves with the breeze