To finalize my MA project I made a memorial piece devoted to all victims of wars which depicts Cher Ami, the only pigeon soldier awarded the Dickin medal for bravery. In moving on from my use of negatives, I found glass to be the closest in terms of transparency but also more rigid. This particular glass was imported from Oregon in United States. For this piece defining elements of war, the symbols, emblems and formations were considered. All is enshrouded in light, images become negatives in the eye, inverted by explosion and the nuclear flash. Black and white are the colors of recorded wars. Cher Ami is transcendent, a representation of the Holy Spirit, often depicted in stained glass as a dove over the past millennium. Design of the piece is inspired by bird symbolism in Inuit and other indigenous cultures. The glass is held by two stiles and one rail, the top rail is omitted to symbolize freedom and our ability to escape the past.
