|
|
|
|
Remembrance Day 2006 -
An Artists View
|
For a year since attending Wednesbury's Remembrance Day ceremony in 2005, local artist Fred Barnfield secretly rehearsed and worked out his latest work. Barnfield's Remembrance Day is a photo-montage of the parade from Wednesbury's Royal British Legion and service in the towns Memorial Gardens of the annual ceremony in 2006.
|
|
| His vision for the work was a dual image picture where the close-up views of the 24 photo's dissolve into a rugged landscape scene of a First World War battlefield seen from a distance. |
| |
Barnfield was inspired by the bravery and suffering of both sides of the horrific conflict and to what ends it achieved.
|
| |
| He drew on many influences from the world of art, in particular Jasper John's Numbers and Rembrandt's Night Watch. |
| |
A professional photographer would have taken over a hundred shots and picked out the most suitable for the picture. Barnfield restricted himself to just a single roll of 24. Every shot had to count, suitable or not. This involved him with the event with more awareness and his technique as a broad brushstroke artist.
|
| |
When developed, Barnfield experimented with many placing's of the photos for his desired result. None being satisfactory. |
| |
It was only when a spare set was displayed in an orderly sequence of 6 rows of 4 photos in Wednesbury Central Library did Barnfield realise his vision. Just like the war itself and its orderly sequence of events leading up to it and all its horrors. Now when seem from afar, with dimmed eyes, Barnfield's Remembrance Day gives one an imaginary illusion of a rugged battlefield and trenches with layers of tranquil clouds floating overhead.
|
| |
| Remembrance Day was presented to Tom Bedworth, (Branch Chairman of the Royal British Legion) after the Falklands Remembrance Day ceremony, conducted by Fr. Kevin A Palmer on Saturday 23rd June 2007 and donated to Wednesbury's Royal British Legion, where it is now on permanent view. |
| |
(You can see a small copy of the photo-montage for yourself by clicking on the link provided here). |
| |
| |
|
