Untitled (Protective Helmet) 1971

Editor: This mixed media collage from 1971, titled *Untitled (Protective Helmet)* by Alexander Zhitomirsky, depicts a police officer wearing the Capitol building as a helmet. The overall effect is unsettling and thought-provoking. What are your thoughts when you see this piece? Curator: My first thought is the very deliberate connection Zhitomirsky is making between authority and state power, especially in the sociopolitical climate of 1971. The Vietnam War protests were at their peak, civil unrest was widespread. What does it mean to literally wear the symbol of government on your head as protection? Is it protective for the officer, or for the state itself? Editor: I see what you mean. It definitely seems to be saying something about the role of law enforcement during times of protest. The background seems to depict protestors or a crowd... Curator: Exactly! Consider the appropriation of Pop Art aesthetics and the juxtaposition of these powerful symbols – the police officer, the Capitol building, the protesting masses in the background. Doesn't this collage urge us to consider whose interests are truly being served and protected? What does that helmet *really* shield? Editor: So it's not just a portrait, but a social commentary, a critique even? Curator: Precisely. It invites dialogue around the relationship between the individual, the state, and systems of control, doesn’t it? And what did the idea of "protection" truly mean when this artwork was made in 1971? I would argue that question still echoes powerfully today. Editor: It makes you think about whose safety is prioritized, and who gets to decide that. I initially saw the artwork as unsettling, but I'm now thinking it's supposed to be. Thank you for unpacking that. Curator: It’s been a pleasure; Zhitomirsky's piece certainly offers ample food for thought.