Artists capture pain and high price of war in city display
ARTWORK which aims to demonstrate the "hidden effects of war" has gone on display in the city.
Aftermath has been produced by professional artists John McDermott and Raya Herzig, a Holocaust survivor, who both live in Exeter.
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RAISING AWARENESS: Artist John McDermott at the launch of Aftermath at Exeter Castle
Their 60-piece exhibition currently showing at Exeter Castle aims to illustrate the effects of war including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from which John suffers.
Through their collaboration the artists hope to raise public awareness of the issue. The exhibition is part of the Exeter Summer Festival.
John was a member of the Royal Navy. He was also a UN Military Observer in conflicts such as the Falklands, the Gulf Wars in the 1980s as well as Bosnia, Cambodia and Sierra Leone in West Africa throughout 1990s.
He is now a full-time painter working in Exeter. His visual artwork on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was first exhibited on the Falkland Islands in 2007.
He said: "I met Raya in November when she came to Exeter's Open Studios at Exeter Castle where I was exhibiting.
"She immediately understood what my work was about, which is rare.
"We developed a friendship and quickly decided we should exhibit together. The exhibition extends through three gallery spaces at the castle which they have given us for free.
"We have both experienced, first hand, the devastating nature of war, and the hidden costs of invisible wounds such as PTSD.
"Our exhibition is all about raising the profile of this invisible wound, using art to explain an often difficult issue, along with a celebration of life and the eternal nature and strength of the human spirit.
"By doing so we also aim to raise the profiles of dedicated PTSD charities."
Raya is a child survivor of the Second World War German concentration camps in Poland when she lost almost her entire family.
She and her sister Stella survived the camps by chance.
While recovering from this harrowing experience, her talents lay dormant. Then, in 1969, for the first time since the end of the war, she revisited Poland.
The confrontation with the places of her childhood broke the spell. She began to paint.
A wealth of images appeared on her canvases, some showing torment, and some unexpectedly light and full of humour.
Raya has achieved international acclaim for the numerous exhibitions she has held throughout Europe.
Aftermath is running until Sunday, July 4 between 10am and 6pm daily. Entry is free.
5 Comments
by PAUL, BUDE CORNWALL
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 10:02AM
“Tell me which war actualy was legal ?”
by Marie, Exeter
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 9:11AM
“The exhibition was very moving, and deals with PTSD and both artists represent the effect of this on both civilian and military people.
It doesn't have anything to do with compensation, or the politics of war. Though I agree with TA Griffin. What makes it worse for the soldiers is that if they do admit that they are suffering from mental health issues, they stand to lose everything, not just their jobs, but also their pensions and all that they paid into their pension fund. Because if they get discharged on medical grounds it disqualifies them for a pension. That doesn't seem fair, especially as if that happened to anyone in a normal job they would get their pension.”
by T A Griffin, Exeter, Devon, England
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 8:24AM
“The problem is Mike is that soldiers sign up to serve their Queen and country, not to fight conduct American foreign policy. They take an oath of allegiance to the Queen, not parliament. They were sent to Iraq to fight in an illegal war, and not a just war. They were sent on the basis of lies, they had every right to refuse orders, and some have, and it is no wonder that they are stressed, when you read the evidence given to the Baha Mousa Inquiry, you will see that there was a breakdown of discipline, and that good order.
Iraq is a stain on our country, and as more evidence comes out the worse it will look. Yes soldiers sign up, but not for illegal wars, not for America, but for their Queen, whether some like it or not, we are on the road to ruin, as will be seen when the courts ruling on the military and the Human Rights Act is finally released. Soldiers do not have to blindly follow orders. There is the Nurembourg Principles, and these will always apply, right to the very top.”
by Marie, Exeter
Wednesday, June 30 2010, 7:27AM
“I saw the exhibition, which is very moving, and shows more reasons for governments not to choose war.”
by Mike, Exeter
Tuesday, June 29 2010, 10:29PM
“PTSD - no one forced those soldiers to go to war, they chose to sign up all by themselves. If they want to go plundering far off nations for their resources, then let them, but to then try and claim compensation when the locals get upset and retaliate is laughable.”