Requiem-World War One Paper Trench Installation
The Great War was an event that dramatically altered the course of History. It tore into peoples lives and homes with unforgiving brutality, leaving wounds that no amount of time could heal. I therefore felt extremely honoured when the Shropshire Horticultural Society commissioned me to create this large-scale Installation, commemorative of all those who lost their lives in The Great War.
I began work on 'Requiem' in June 2014. The Installation itself depicts four figures, a Patrol Officer, Medic, Wounded Soldier and Sentry, all engaging in Trench Warfare. Based on a lot of research and made using brown paper, the piece was finally ready for public display at The Shrewsbury Flower Show on the 8th August 2014. My Installation stirred the interest and emotions of so many. From children asking how many rats were in the installation, to War Veterans, inquiring about the Gun type held by the Soldiers (a Lee Enfield).
I created this World War One sculptural Installation with the greatest respect to all those who fought and were affected by World War One. However, the piece allows viewers to reflect on the lives lost and sacrifices made in, not only The Great War, but all Wars since then, even up to the present day. It is this multigenerational relevance which I find most moving and poignant about the piece; it merges history with the present, conjuring a single requiem to lost life as a result of War.
Since being on display at the 2014 Shrewsbury Flower Show, my Installation has been at The Theatre Severn, Tanners Wines Merchant's (raising money for Combat Stress) and at the Oswestry LitFest 2015. In 2016, the piece will be moving to The Staffordshire Regiment Museum, commemorating the anniversary of The Battle of The Somme.
I began work on 'Requiem' in June 2014. The Installation itself depicts four figures, a Patrol Officer, Medic, Wounded Soldier and Sentry, all engaging in Trench Warfare. Based on a lot of research and made using brown paper, the piece was finally ready for public display at The Shrewsbury Flower Show on the 8th August 2014. My Installation stirred the interest and emotions of so many. From children asking how many rats were in the installation, to War Veterans, inquiring about the Gun type held by the Soldiers (a Lee Enfield).
I created this World War One sculptural Installation with the greatest respect to all those who fought and were affected by World War One. However, the piece allows viewers to reflect on the lives lost and sacrifices made in, not only The Great War, but all Wars since then, even up to the present day. It is this multigenerational relevance which I find most moving and poignant about the piece; it merges history with the present, conjuring a single requiem to lost life as a result of War.
Since being on display at the 2014 Shrewsbury Flower Show, my Installation has been at The Theatre Severn, Tanners Wines Merchant's (raising money for Combat Stress) and at the Oswestry LitFest 2015. In 2016, the piece will be moving to The Staffordshire Regiment Museum, commemorating the anniversary of The Battle of The Somme.
Behind the Scenes
Take a look at how I make and transport my work