“123 DAYS”

Body of work based on Monte Cassino as part of a larger exhibition called “A Very Sad Affair” at Village Arts Gallery in Kohukohu.

The terrible destruction of the ancient Monastery on Monte Cassino, the surrounding towns, and the deaths of thousands of soldiers and civilians was one of the bitterest combats in Italy for the NZ soldiers.

This piece is 4 metres long and consists of 123 images. Each one represents a day in this series of battles that began on the 17th Jan 1944 and ended on the 18th May 1944.

The images use old sliver gelatine photographic paper stitched onto canvas and maimed, burnt, torn, semi destroyed and painted over…a memento mori.

Source of original images: ATL War History Collection

 

Photo gallery

Click on each thumbnail to view a larger image.