|
 ARLINGTON,
Va. - Staff Sgt. Jonathan Meadows suffered a traumatic brain injury
in 2012 while deployed to Afghanistan when the vehicle he was riding
in drove over an improvised explosive device. Currently stationed at
the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Meadows
uses ceramic sculpting to “put his thoughts out that he can't
verbalize for many reasons,” according to his wife, Melissa. (see
image left)
According to Jon, the sculptures on display
during an art rehabilitation expo hosted by the Office of Warrior
Care Policy Nov. 20, 2014 at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia,
not only illustrate his own thoughts, but the thoughts of his
comrades with whom he served on multiple deployments.
“Pretty
much what I was doing was putting the feelings of what [fellow
Soldiers] experienced ... what I experienced,” he said. “And try to
put it in a way, so that when someone looks at it they see and feel
what I feel.”
After a diagnosis confirmed his physical brain
trauma, the Meadowses attended guided sculpting courses in a studio,
despite some resistance from Jon, according to Melissa.
“Learning to deal with the new Jon was a challenge,” she said.
“As a family, it is difficult, but you love each other and you move
on.”
From small beginnings, Jon's work began with a pig, then
a turtle and some other animals. His breakthrough point however,
according to Melissa, is when he attempted a sculpture of Jesus and
Mary.
“It took forever to make this beautiful head [for the
Jesus and Mary sculpture] but it was too big,” she said. “I tried to
explain to him that the head needs to reflect the size of the body,
so he got upset and squished it flat.”
|
From left, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Meadows and wife Melissa speak
with Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for Health
Affairs, during an exhibition at the rehabilitation expo Nov. 20,
2014, in Arlington, Va., within the Pentagon's corridors. (Joint
Base Myer-Henderson Hall PAO photo by Damien Salas)
|
It was after that moment Jon began to create the body of
work he is famous for now.
“And the next thing we
know he had his first Soldier sculpture,” said Melissa. “It
was an overnight talent - I tell him his brain broke in the
right way.”
Not all of these themes in Jon's work -
substance abuse, suicidal ideations, PTSD, grieving the loss
of fellow Soldiers - come from his own experiences.
Consulting with his “battle buddies” plays an important role
in his process, he said.
“I didn't think I would get
injured the way I did,” he said. “I went through a
depression phase and you feel like you aren't just worth
much anymore. I have seen so many Soldiers go through that,
so [the art] means something to a lot of Soldiers.”
By Damien Salas
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall
PAO
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
Comment on this article |
