Four photographs of the immersive exhibit, as a whole—with textual descriptions of each photograph

“A Sapper’s Abyss” by John T. Gibson

Editor’s Note: Underlined content is hyperlinked (each underlined element is a clickable link), leading to further aspects of the content shared, here. (This convention is consistent, throughout Wordgathering.)

Content Warning: The content and themes in this artwork are for mature audiences only. The content, themes, images, and sounds may be disturbing to some. The content includes graphic representations of real gore, brief nudity, combat, and explosives. All photographic images are from the public domain, made available via The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, and have been donated, with permission, from the personal collection of Dr. Jon Bowersox.

Black printed, sans serif text on a white gallery exhibit wall is accompanied by two black and white photographs from a colleague’s exhibit. Text reads: CreatiVets is an organization that provides U. S. military veterans the opportunity to explore visual and performing arts as a means of addressing the psychological and emotional needs that arise from combat-related trauma. Partnering with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), participants are immersed in three weeks of arts instruction that explores the fundamentals of various media, examines them in the context of their ideas, and uses these resources to express their experiences of conflict. SAIC is honored to mark four years of collaboration with CreatiVets and congratulates the artists who completed this course.
Color photograph. Warrior Brain + Artist Mind Exhibit Introduction (CreatiVets, June 2018)

Black printed, sans serif text on a white gallery exhibit wall is accompanied by two black and white photographs from a colleague’s exhibit. Text reads: CreatiVets is an organization that provides U. S. military veterans the opportunity to explore visual and performing arts as a means of addressing the psychological and emotional needs that arise from combat-related trauma. Partnering with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), participants are immersed in three weeks of arts instruction that explores the fundamentals of various media, examines them in the context of their ideas, and uses these resources to express their experiences of conflict. SAIC is honored to mark four years of collaboration with CreatiVets and congratulates the artists who completed this course.

Black printed, sans serif text on a white background reads: John T. Gibson. Marine Corps Combat Engineer 2009-2013. “A Sapper’s Abyss”, 2018. Wood, fiber, wire, filaments, photographs, sand. This piece represents how I have mentally compartmentalized all my trauma, expertise, and experiences regarding Improvised Explosive Devices, and the psychological toll that is engendered when I enter that frame of mind.
Photograph of John T. Gibson’s “A Sapper’s Abyss” Exhibit Description (Warrior Brain + Artist Mind Exhibit – CreatiVets, June 2018)

Black printed, sans serif text on a white background reads: John T. Gibson. Marine Corps Combat Engineer 2009-2013. “A Sapper’s Abyss”, 2018. Wood, fiber, wire, filaments, photographs, sand. This piece represents how I have mentally compartmentalized all my trauma, expertise, and experiences regarding Improvised Explosive Devices, and the psychological toll that is engendered when I enter that frame of mind.

Color photograph of the Warrior Brain + Artist Mind Exhibit (CreatiVets, June 2018), showing various artists’ work in the gallery—including John T. Gibson’s “The Sapper’s Abyss.”
Color photograph of the Warrior Brain + Artist Mind Exhibit (CreatiVets, June 2018), showing various artists’ work in the gallery—including John T. Gibson’s “The Sapper’s Abyss.”
Color photograph. The assembly and upper frame of “A Sapper’s Abyss” by John T. Gibson, shown without the exhibit’s burlap dressing. Color photographs are suspended with fishing line from the wooden frame. (CreatiVets, June 2018).
Color photograph. The assembly and upper frame of “A Sapper’s Abyss” by John T. Gibson, shown without the exhibit’s burlap dressing. Color photographs are suspended with fishing line from the wooden frame. (CreatiVets, June 2018).

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About the Artist

John T. Gibson served as a Combat Engineer with the United States Marine Corps on the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). He received a degree in Social Work from Syracuse University in May 2020, and plans to pursue a graduate degree in art therapy and counseling. John is a disability advocate. As an artist, he works across a variety of mediums. John believes strongly in the healing power of self-expression through any means. “A Sapper’s Abyss” has been described as “a performance piece”; however, John prefers to think of this work as an immersive exhibit. He hopes that the exhibit engages the audience artfully and instructionally, while the audience’s tactile and other experiences inform and embed themselves in the exhibit’s effectiveness. John’s artwork can be found on Instagram @ner.neff.art.