Skip to main content

24 April 2017: International Sculpture Day – a sculpture in tribute to war dogs



On Monday 24 April 2017 the world will celebrate the art of sculpture during the third annual International Sculpture Day.

The aim of International Sculpture Day is to advance the creation and understanding of sculpture and its unique contribution to society. Hundreds of artists, organizations and institutions in over 20 countries will celebrate the day in 2017 with open studios, unveiling public sculptures, sculpture scavenger hunts, pop up exhibitions, and demonstrations.

The sculpture I am featuring today honours ANZAC Day, held in Australia on 25 April each year. At the Australian War Memorial in Canberra is a commemorative sculpture in tribute to the Explosive Detection Dogs deployed during conflicts. The red poppies draped over the statue are to commemorate Anzac Day – for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (the ANZACs) and all Australians who have served in all wars and conflicts.

The bronze sculpture by Ewen Coate is called Elevation of the senses (2015) to commemorate Explosive Detective Dogs and their handlers.

The tunnel through the base of the sculpture alludes to the rigorous training undertaken by the dogs, while the rocky outcrops on top of the columns represent the foreign landscapes of deployment.

The elevation of the dog on the central column, where it crouches eye-to-eye with its human handler, highlights the deep bonds forged between animal and man, as well as their mutual dependence on which their work is based.

The column beside the sculpture includes the engraved names of the Explosive Detection Dogs that have died in duty:

Lucky on 4 July 2011
Herbie with Sapper Darren Smith 2CER 7 June 2010
Nova on 23 October 2009
Andy on 23 November 2007
Razz on 21 September 2007
Merlin on 31 August 2007

The Australian War Memorial has a range of sculptures in the grounds and inside. It also has a Roll of Honour, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the eternal flame, exhibitions, library, museum, bookshop, restaurant, and commemorative statues.

























MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...
1 comment
Read more

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...
2 comments
Read more

The Knight in the Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli (2015 translation): book review

The Knight in the Panther Skin (12th century, this edition 2015) is a recent translation by American poet and author, Lyn Coffin. The author, Shota Rustaveli, is Georgia’s most loved poet. This poem is mammoth, a magnum opus – it is 1,656 verses long, separated by chapters. But readers, don’t give up, because every verse is worth reading. It is akin to 1001 Arabian Knights, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, or Shakespearean poetry. King Rostevan of Arabia has a daughter, Tinatin. She loves the knight Avtandil and he loves her. Verse 368 from Avtandil: ‘The doctor’s could do nothing. A dark twilight on my heart now pressed, I was on fire because of love, but nobody knew or guessed. They blamed my blood. The king decided bleeding my arm would be best; I let it be done to hide the suffering I had not confessed.’ But a knight in panther skin is seen weeping, and subsequently kills the king’s soldiers, sparing the king. Before Tinatin weds Avtandil she r...
Post a Comment
Read more