29 Palms, Security and Stability Operations (Good Saddam)

An-My Lê

MacArthur fellow An-My Lê uses photography to question the representation and commemoration of the Vietnam War in the United States. Lê, who fled Vietnam with her family as war refugees, aims to probe the disjunction between historical events and the way they are ultimately recalled—what she considers to be “the Vietnam of the mind”—by calling into question the accuracy of news reports and documentation. Her “Small Wars” series (1999-2002) features scenes of Vietnam War re-enactments, in which she often participates in roles as varied as a military translator and a Vietcong member. Lê also produces more documentary projects, including photographs of war games, ongoing Vietnamese immigration to Southern Louisiana, and United States military presence around the world.