Allegiance by Darrell Black

The artwork titled Allegiance depicts a military person who has suffered the enormous hardship of war with its many personal sacrifices, and upon returning home, the soldier is given a hero’s welcome for having great courage in helping to defend freedom. In return, the brave soldier puts his or her good hand over their heart, emotionless. The audience sees a true hero! But the reality for the soldier being celebrated is the anguish of no longer having legs to stand on and the use of only one hand. The soldier shows this disbelief of being disfigured by war with a very stoic facial expression that replies in silence to the audience, “I lost all hope, joy, and happiness that life can ever offer me. Was the cost of war worth it?” Emotional and physical wounds that will last forever.

Darrell Urban Black was born March 25, 1964 in Brooklyn, NY and is an American visual artist presently living in Frankfurt, Germany. He works in a variety of formats that include pen-and-ink drawings, acrylic paintings on canvas, wood, and mixed-media objects. His creative process is a mixture of works on paper, acrylic paint, found objects, and nontoxic hot glue, and his technique creates a three-dimensional effect on any surface that gives a sense of realism and presence in his artwork. His artwork transports viewers from the doldrums of their daily reality to a visual interpretation of another reality. You can find him on Twitter @definismart.