Interplay: Between Self and Form
Kelowna Art Gallery
Members’ Exhibition
October 24, 2008 - January 3, 2009

My submission; "Shattered Innocence "
~ 24 " x 24 " Acrylic on canvas

In “Shattered Innocence” I reflect on the idea of boundaries; the boundaries Canadians have crossed both physically and emotionally in our involvement in the Afghanistan War in the Kandahar province. We as a nation are deployed there as part of the International Security Assistance Force.

Canada has crossed the territorial boundaries of countries borders. Canadian troops have crossed the boundary of “peace keepers” to a “battle group”. As a nation we struggle with the boundaries of sacrifice and duty. We think about the loss of innocence for the soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country and to help others. The loss of 97 of these fine soldiers crosses the personal “price of war” boundaries for Canadian citizens and families. For each soldier and their families there is the boundary of safety, life and death.

War crosses many human rights boundaries. The child in this painting represents the persistent civilian death in Afghanistan as a result of the military operations and attacks by the bands against Afghanistan. Because of these attacks children don’t have total access to proper education and nourishment and are often targeted or raped. Reports of killings, beatings and restrictions on women are rampant in parts of the country. War imposes a harrowing loss of innocence.

This painting also represents a military boundary crossed by the female role in the Canadian military. In 1979, Military colleges opened their doors to women and in 1988 Colonel Sheila A. Hellstrom was the first female graduate of the National Defence College. She becomes the first Regular Force woman to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. On May 17, 2006 during Canadian operations in Afghanistan, 26 year old, Captain Nichola Goddard is the first Canadian woman to die in combat since the Second World War and the first female combat soldier killed on the front lines.

For everyone involved in this war there are functions and activities of life or of living matter being crossed. There is shattered innocence.