The art of war
COFA alumnus Shaun Gladwell is Australia's newest official war artist. His work, shot in Afghanistan, is now being exhibited at the War Memorial in Canberra.
Published on the 30 Jul 2010
COFA alumnus Shaun Gladwell is Australia's newest official war artist and the first to use video.
In October last year, Gladwell spent three weeks embedded with Australian troops in Afghanistan and in the Middle East.
The resulting video and photographic art installation is now on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Double Field: Shaun Gladwell - Afghanistan, represents Gladwell's response to the soldiers, technology and landscapes he experienced while on tour. In particular, it explores the way soldiers, who are part of the International Assistance Security Force, are trained to observe and quickly respond to foreign environments.
War artists have been working in conflict zones with Australian military since the First World War. In the past decade, the Official War Artist Scheme has been revitalised to continue this tradition.
For more, go to the Australian War Memorial website.
Media contact: Susi Hamilton | 9385 1583 | susi.hamilton@unsw.edu.au