Towards a field of sleep: Brass cross from the war grave of Private A. Davidson

Place Asia: Korea
Accession Number AWM2019.215.1.13
Collection type Art
Object type Photograph
Physical description Photography; digital pigment print on archival rag photographique paper
Maker Grant, Lee
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Korea: Pusan
Date made 2019
Conflict Korea, 1950-1953
Copyright

Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright

Description

Artist Lee Grant took this photograph of the brass cross on the war grave of Private A. Davidson of 3RAR who died aged 23 on 16 February 1951 in the UN Cemetary in Pusan. He is one of the 281 Australians buried there. Grant included it in her series "Towards a field of Sleep", which is a poetic visual response to the experience and legacy of the Korean War for Australia. It is one of two series of photographs that comprise "Mnemosyne" by artist Lee Grant, responding the history and legacy of the Korean War shared between the Republic of Korea and Australia.

Grant was selected by the Australian War Memorial as the Australian artist for the inaugural artist residency exchange project with the Republic of Korea. (Taedong Kim was the Korean artist, he spent a month based at the Australian War Memorial.) Grant travelled to Korea to research the history and legacy of the conflict. She visited historic sites and met with current and former service personnel and civilians who lived through the war. She then undertook research at the Australian War Memorial and met with Australian veterans. "Mnemosyne" includes two series of photographs, "Towards a field of sleep" and "And the rivers still flow towards an open sea". Grant's own photographs are complemented with archival photograph's from the Memorial collection. Mnemosyne is the name of the ancient Green goddess of memory and remembrance. The title 'Towards a field of sleep' was inspired by the poem "Towards the field of sleep" by Korean poet Choi Jeongrye.

Related information

Conflicts

Places