For the last few months, I have been working towards the Colonize exhibition which will be shown in Jamestown NY at The 3rd on 3rd and Dykeman Young Galleries.

My work is based on the tragic 1944 Liberator plane crash that happened close to where I live. It was only by chance that I found the monument to the 24 airmen that lost their lives in the crash and it made me want to find out more.

From where I live, I can see the vast area of bright yellow rape seed flowers that surround the crash site. Until recently I had no idea what lay below.

I found a map of the site and took a walk up there. Its very quiet. There are deep gouges in the earth, still visible after all of these years. Remnants of animal life remain – wool caught on a barbed wire fence, a skull from a sheep, bones lying peacefully in a brook.

The triangular monuments are collages of what remains. Symbols on maps, fading flowers plant and animal life…

Further reading on the tragedy can be found here  Many thanks to Colin Schroeder, aviation historian, for sending me information

.