Hessian Bayonets

“Hessian Bayonets”

Welded Steel, Canvas, Oil Stick, Acrylic House Paint, Powder Pigment, Iron Powder, Paper collage, Paper Shopping Bags Mounted on wood frame. 2019

This painting is based on local folklore. Hessian soldiers were German mercenary, “soldiers for hire” and were used by the British army to supplement their own troops. During the Battle of Long Island Hessian troops acted as a diversion to deceive the American army into thinking the main British attack was happening in what today is known as Prospect Park. Meanwhile, the true British attack was able to cut off and isolate the American troops facing the Hessians. The Americans, upon realizing this, fled towards what today is downtown Brooklyn. The Hessian troops, perhaps because of language barriers, or perhaps because of British propaganda, did not take prisoners. Instead they used bayonets mounted at the end of their muskets to kill any surrendering American solider they came across.

The painting was created using rubbings of actual tree trunks from the “Battle Pass” area of Prospect Park. Oil stick was used to transfer the bark pattern from the trees to the canvas strips. These strips of canvas were mounted to the substrate of paper shopping bags and hand forged steel bayonets were impaled into the tree bark. This painting was part of the Tides of Time exhibit at Gowanus Dredgers boat house (August 2019).

                            Side view showing the bayonets embedded into the painting

Installing wood frame to the wall. The painting on paper will be attached to it.

After attaching the painting

Cutting the steel bar stock to form the bayonet blades.

I created a simple jig to help assemble the bayonet parts. It was a easy build and was made by welding only three parts together.

Finished assembled bayonets ready for rusting process.

The start of the process. They rusted slowly at first.

I used a mixture of vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide and salt to achieve a deep crusty rust.