Nerves on Fire
George Klauba
World War II cast a long shadow. Virtually every family had a member who was carried by the wings of history over the oceans into worlds of danger, boredom, and mind-wrenching emotion, toward the prospect of maiming or death. To American children of the early 1940s, war was part of daily life-as it was for George Klauba. Today, as an artist, he looks back on that history. The work featured in Nerves on Fire is not standard imagery glorifying war; instead, it presents powerful and moving artwork reflecting scenes from World War II. In eighteen startling and empathetic paintings of the Pacific War, Klauba offers glimpses into the emotions of both sides-Allied and Japanese-as he captures the pathos and brutality of war as well as its valor and heroism. Nerves on Fire speaks to many generations, not just the ever-shrinking roster of World War II vets. Within it are lessons for all, including young people of today who live in a world beset by violence and wars around the globe.