In this unique exhibition produced expressly for the Samstag Museum of Art, the internationally acclaimed Australian artist Shaun Gladwell, a 2001 Samstag Scholar, draws on his profound 2009 experience and memories as the Australian War Memorial’s official war artist.

In Field Recordings, Gladwell has created an installation that effectively reflects on his momentous undertaking in recording the ordeal and reality of war, an experience that had a profound effect on the artist’s life and practice. In the process, he takes a personal opportunity to honour his own father and grandfather, who served militarily in the Vietnam and Second World Wars, respectively.

In a year that the nation commemorates the centenary of World War I, the Samstag Museum of Art is proud to present Shaun Gladwell: Afghanistan and Field Recordings, two exhibitions that acknowledge the grave reality and immense personal impact of war, an experience that most Australians are fortunate never to have encountered.