LISA ELLEN HUGHES
Standing guard, Anzac Bridge
Acrylic and glaze on canvas
76 x 91cm
Standing Guard, Anzac Bridge is a combined aerial and frontal point-of-view perspective leading into Black Wattle Bay and the Sydney Fish Markets. My composite images create a narrative that embodies and reinforces the solid-preservation and respect to the Anzac soldiers who fought at Gallipoli. Red poppies adorn the side of my work as a remembrance of the memory of fallen soldiers and their unique courage on the battlefields of Northern France and Belgium. The Anzacs faced a devastating battle to provide future generations with peace and freedom. The solidarity and mateship of Australian diggers and the New Zealand army corps created a bond and loyalty to each other fighting, an unbeatable battle on the shores of Gallipoli.
The contemporary gestural representation of the Anzac bridge positioned next to my pop art recreation of the historic Diggers sculptured by Alan Somerville, which stands at the west end of Anzac bridge. The intention to represent the soldier as pop art dots seen in print creates an essence of faded memories. The Anzac statue silently stands guard, demanding respect, while life continues to move forward around as aquatic and sub-aquatic images of fish and boats.
