Finalist in 2018 Gallipoli Art Prize
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 122cm x 61cm (24″ x 24″)
Homage means to honour and show respect. Our service men and women pay a huge price in service of our country.
History shows that of the people that have faced conflict, many do not survive and those that do return home are changed and often damaged. My painting pays homage to these service men and women.
Soldiers are part of a team and each person has a role. They fit together protecting, defending and supporting each other. Strong bonds are formed and when someone falls, it hits hard. In my painting, the uniforms fit together like a jigsaw of interlocking pieces. The soldiers in sepia symbolise those who died in battle and all the men show strong emotional reactions. Some soldiers show determination, others humour or sadness and others have the blank, unfocused gaze of soldiers who have become emotionally detached from the horrors around them.
There is no one left from WW1 now and few from WW2, but they in our memories, images and words. We should always honour and show respect and never forget them.
