John F. Walté

The Legacy
digital painting
16 x 20 in.

‘The Legacy’ is from a series of images concerning “the Bomb”. It is called ‘The Legacy’ because of course my parent’s generation handed it to me and now my generation hands it to the next. However, this next generation, in this age of localized conflict far away, doesn’t seem to acknowledge the feeling of imminent world wide destruction that accompanies this legacy. I was horrified to hear leaders of our own military considering “tactical” nuclear weapons at the beginning of our spate of revenge on the Middle East.

Here they are, Fat Man and Little Boy, still with us after 55 years. I have depicted them as rusty and old as if just recently found out back of the barn, even though they were atomized half a century ago, and half a world away. We have breathed and eaten them many times over since then.

© John F. Walté