Robert Arneson's sculpture Minuteman shows the observer the brutality of war and its misgivings. The composition is comprised of fired clay and acrylic paint. The observer, upon viewing the piece, is brought up close to the horrendous atrocities of war. The figure is that of a hairless disfigured head lanced upon a charred cross. An obsidian-black blood with lurid, red roots flows under its deformed head. Horribly disfigured this figure gives the observer a frightful awakening to the unpleasentries of war. .
The observer sees that at the base of the cross, carved into its vertical beam, a missile. This imagery corroborates that in the holiest of fights the lurking shadow of destruction is still a concern. Working up the cross we see black blood covering the charred cross. On the left beam of the cross a piece of the figure's head is left covered in blood. The head on the cross is disfigured with bullet holes, gashes, and contusions. The observer sees that the right side of the figures head is caved in. While viewing the face of the figure, the observer will notice that the left side of the face is left intact save for a few scratches and an errant bullet hole. Located in the center of the forehead is a target, perhaps lending an opinion that all involved are themselves targets. Moving to the right side of the sculpture the observer will notice small capital lettered words start to appear in the figure's head. Words like MASSACRE, KILL, RAT TAT TAT, SLAUGHTER, ATTACK, and BUTCHER litter the backside of the figure's head. Along with these words are also the words INDISCRIMINATELY, HUMAN BEINGS, and OFFICIALS DENY KNOWLEDGE, all bringing the humanity into the sorted fray of war. Three powerful images are also carved into the "flesh" of the figure. An infantryman located on the back left side of the head, and a pile of bodies on the top of the head. These images depict realities of war.
