War and Memory

Wonderful exhibition at the National Maritime Museum of work by Rozanne Hawksley looking at the nature and meaning of commemoration of war.

The whole thing has a very young contemporary art felling to it then you see a photo of the artist as an evacuee and realised she is an older lady. A number of works came from a show she did called “Seamstress of the Sea” about her eternal grandmother who sewed sailor collars during the two world wars. Works sowed the work of seamstresses but also linked this to the idea of sewing wounds and also had a burial at sea should.

Another room looked at how we commemorate the dead and included a wreath made of white gloves, white feathers and bone. There were also modern versions of sweethearts pin cushions. Everything was well displayed in dark, rather sinister feeling rooms.

I would love to see more work by this artist.

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