V O R T E X 4: War Art And Artists : Narratives of War

War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
Stephen Barclay: 'Painting the Struggle for Survival' A painter, Stephen studied at Glasgow School of Art, and has shown regularly since graduating in 1985, with one person shows at the Paton Gallery in London, the Raab Gallery in Berlin, and Duncan R Miller Fine Arts, London. His paintings are in many public and private collections including the Contemporary Art Society, Australian National Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, Cleveland Gallery, Texaco, and the Deutsche Bank. His work has also been featured in texts on contemporary painting such as New Scottish Painting, a catalogue of work held at Gallerie Bureaux et Magasins, Ostend (1991) and the catalogue to "Modern Painters“ A Memorial Exhibition for Peter Fuller also held in 1991. Of his work he has written: 'Ever present in my work is the theme of conflict, whether it is human conflict or that within nature itself. In conjunction with my scrutiny of nature I have a deep interest in the subject of war. This interest stems from the personal experiences of my parents during World War Two. Vividly imprinted in their memories, their tales continuously provide me with a fascinating insight and tangible link with an event that still casts it's shadow over our lives today. Through the juxtaposition of these two themes, I aim to create visual analogies linking the struggles for survival to be found in man and those within nature itself.' See: www.barclay-art.com contact: Stephen@Barclay-Art.com top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
	Matt Brebbion: Personal Narratives of Minesweeping in Iraq Matt Brebbion served with British army Royal Engineers in the Gulf War (1991), where he was wounded and partially blinded during mine clearing operations. Later, as a Fine Art student at University of the West of England, Bristol UK (1993 - 1997) Matt developed a passion for large scale heroic (and anti-heroic) narratives which are, in part, based on personal histories and memories. top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
	Dan Claiden: Poetry of War and Peace Image: 'Hero's Return' Peace and War I set a laugh rolling Bouncing Between the eyes of babies And parents kidnapped by chuckling From serious destinations Watched it tumble through generations Tangling the freet of hate Muffling the booms of passing bombs Building bold kitchens of love Growing the fruit of delight Then a soldier on his way to kill Offered me a smile That on our sharing surface I returned Not searching deeper Reason For Fear Of treason He patted children And later made them Dead. top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
	Robert Hunter: A Diorama of Conflict "One of the joys of growing up has been to see all my favourite myths blown out of the water. Stories continuously exposed as 'stories' - as the simple truth is revealed to be far from that. War as a child had the appeal and heroism as that of those who embarked on the glorious adventure which became the Great War. Model tanks, Airfix soldiers arranged in platoons and Alistair Maclean adapted to the big screen has become displaced by news items of UN non-intervention, Noam Chomsky on nationalism and an awareness of the last 500 years. As a child I wanted to build a diorama. US troops at rest in a bombed out French farmhouse. Twenty years on I realised my ambition. Employing the same materials and miniatures the scene took on an entirely different appearance." Image : Colosseum (in camera) 64 x 64 x 15 cms plastic kit models, acrylic and polystyrene (not including base and case) Contact: www.hiddenart.co.uk or www.axisartists.org.uk top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
	Kai McCall: A Response to Nato Bombing in the Serbia, 1999 Image - 'The first casualty' 1999 68 ins. x 112 ins. oil on canvas "This painting was made in May 1999, when NATO forces were attacking the Serbian army. As the painting progressed the aeroplane resting on the forest floor began to look more and more menacing, particularly after the introduction of the young girl. It was at this point that I became conscious of the parallel with the disturbing events on Kosovo. Though not explicitly intended as a work of 'war art' I feel this painting emerged gradually as a reaction to what I was hearing in the news. Like a smart bomb gone off its course, this plane has missed its destination and finds itself in an alien environment, ready to apply its lethal power on the innocence of the child." contact: www.kaimccall.com top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
	Jenny Mellings: A Response to a Massacre in Kosova, 1999 This work was made in July 1999 in response to a particularly disturbing press photograph from the Kosovan crisis entitled 'Massacre in a spring meadow' (Sunday Times 2nd May 1999). This was expanded on special photographic paper, and using charcoal and chalk I 'buried' the bodies there exposed beneath grassy tumuli which represent the possible appearance of the meadow had the atrocity not taken place." Jenny Mellings was born in Weymouth, England and studied at Bournemouth and Exeter Schools of Art. She has exhibited regularly in the UK, including solo shows at Plymouth Arts Centre (1996) and Exeter Arts Centre (1993) She won first prize in the Millfield Open Competition, Somerset UK in 1996. image: 'Spring Meadow' charcoal and conte on photographic paper 91 x 91 cms July 1999 top
War Art and Artists : Narratives of War
Gail Ritchie: ”Although no longer working in the field as an archaeological excavator, my work plays with the traditions and conventions of both visual art and archaeology, allowing both procedures to interlink and interfere with each other. There is a scientific element to the work reflecting a quest into the truth about death and decay. The visual language used must be as unflinching as forensics and the technique used to produce images or sculpture reflects this. The image is distilled and free from nostalgia. Artefacts and animals which hold an aura of memory and meaning and which may be enigmatic in terms of cultural and mythological associations intrigue me. The work draws on many references, cultural and historical and operates across a variety of means from installation, to photography to sound and object based pieces. I recycle motifs throughout my work, in whichever media, and this reflects how the nature of meaning is fluid and changing. The recombination of motifs energises possibilities within the narratives. In this respect, all work to date is work in progress, a circular exploration of memory and memorial.” Gail Ritchie Belfast, December 2008 You can find out more about Gail Ritchie and her work by visiting her website : www.gailritchie.blogspot.com top back to featured artists