B-52 in Baby’s Tears
1972

The B-52 was the standard bomber, the workhorse employed by the United States military in the American war in Vietnam (c. 1962–75), where it dropped heavy ordnance and napalm—more than was dropped during all of World War II; it is still in use. The B-2 Stealth bomber, which came on line in 1997, has been used by the American military in wars in Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001– ), Iraq (2003– ), and elsewhere. The sculpture echoes the traditional identification of military aircraft by silhouette. Rosler's ongoing interest in gardens and nature is here placed in the service of a commentary on the impact of war. In this work Rosler again uses the strategy of resuming a mode of representation first used during the Vietnam War.