‘ANZACs in the landscape'
M2A19 Commissioned Work, 2018, oil and aerosol paint, fabric on canvas, 30 x 40"
As mentioned in my previous blog "My first formal commission", I was invited to create a piece to complement Guy Warren's work in the third of ANVAM’s annual exhibition series, March to Art: Narratives to be held at the No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne (23 April - 12 May 2019).
My piece was inspired by Guy's interpretation of 'figures in the landscape' as it relates to me, as a veteran artist.
This mixed media landscape (comprising fabric, oil paint, metallic spray paint, and other collage-like elements) depicts interwoven Australian and NZ military personnel on operations in Vietnam, with stylised national, indigenous symbols in the background and their associated linkages with the terrain.
The depiction of soldiers in the landscape of Vietnam’s jungle was deliberate, as the Australians and Kiwis wore similar combat uniforms and used the same weaponry and equipment in Vietnam, making them meld into a single ANZAC entity in the field – unlike nowadays on modern operations where the two forces are distinct in their appearance and operate under their own commands, in their own area of operations.
I have also portrayed the soldiers in the painting as fit, strong and ready for action, which is a nod to techniques used in Vietnamese propaganda art, where their own citizens and soldiers were often painted as strong, healthy and powerful, to instil morale and pride among the populace.
Scientists and artists have often talked about humans’ evolutionary interconnectedness with the natural world and the interactions between the geo and bio spheres. The composition is designed to harness that interconnectedness and subtly render the figures in the landscape with geospatial, indigenous iconography and national references, to represent the bi-cultural aspects of my own personal and professional life.
Guy Warren’s works inspired this art work to tell my own narrative through use of figures in the landscape. His raw, bold style in his paintings also influenced my decision to create a mixed media piece - so that my brushstrokes are obvious and there is a rich texture across the finished surface. I hope this 'materiality' of the art work, combined with subtle metallic accents only seen at certain angles, will hold the viewer's interest and reward their time spent lingering with the art work.
