Australian authorities sent artists to the WW1 battlefields to interpret and commemorate war. But unlike similar schemes in Britain and Canada, ours neglected the war experience at home and the perspective of women artists.
Part of a black cotton cushion cover depicting the Australian coat of arms embroidered by Lance Corporal Alfred Briggs (Albert Biggs), 20 Battalion, AIF.
Courtesy of Australian War Memorial
Embroidery - often seen as women’s work - was a common form of therapy for troops wounded in the first world war. One soldier, Albert Biggs, learned to sew with his left hand after his right arm was badly injured.
Detail of a production still from Baden Pailthorpe ‘s MQ-9 Reaper III (Skyquest) 2015
Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney
Video games such as Battlefield I encourage players to find purpose and meaning in war. But a new generation of artists and gamers is starting to question the messages they propagate.