If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory
This article explores how war memorials engage with the contested nature of public sculpture and commemoration across historical, political, aesthetic and social contexts. It opens with an analysis of the Australian commemorative landscape and the proliferation of Great War Memorials constructed aft...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Newcastle
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Historical Encounters: A Journal of Historical Consciousness, Historical Cultures, and History Education |
| Online Access: | https://www.hej-hermes.net/8-301 |
| _version_ | 1819242936741658624 |
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| author | Martin Kerby Margaret Baguley Alison Bedford Richard Gehrmann |
| author_facet | Martin Kerby Margaret Baguley Alison Bedford Richard Gehrmann |
| author_sort | Martin Kerby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores how war memorials engage with the contested nature of public sculpture and commemoration across historical, political, aesthetic and social contexts. It opens with an analysis of the Australian commemorative landscape and the proliferation of Great War Memorials constructed after 1918 and their ‘war imagining’ that positioned it as a national coming of age. The impact of foundational memorial design is explored through a number of memorials and monuments which have used traditional symbolism synonymous with the conservative ideological and aesthetic framework adopted during the inter-war years. The authors then analyse international developments over the same period, including Great War memorials in Europe, to determine the extent of their impact on Australian memorial and monument design. This analysis is juxtaposed with contemporary memorial design which gradually echoed increasing disillusionment with war and the adoption of abstract designs which moved away from a didactic presentation of information to memorials and monuments which encouraged the viewer’s interpretation. The increase of anti- or counter-war memorials is then examined in the context of voices which were often excluded in mainstream historical documentation and engage with the concept of absence. The selection of memorials also provides an important contribution in relation to the ideological and aesthetic contribution of war memorials and monuments and the extent of their relevance in contemporary society. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:47:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c0f243b73f4444db93fadcf490125b0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2203-7543 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:47:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Newcastle |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Historical Encounters: A Journal of Historical Consciousness, Historical Cultures, and History Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c0f243b73f4444db93fadcf490125b02022-12-21T17:43:03ZengUniversity of NewcastleHistorical Encounters: A Journal of Historical Consciousness, Historical Cultures, and History Education2203-75432021-12-018311210.52289/hej8.301If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memoryMartin Kerbyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4073-2559Margaret Baguleyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0098-6378Alison Bedfordhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6708-9896Richard Gehrmannhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0287-5532This article explores how war memorials engage with the contested nature of public sculpture and commemoration across historical, political, aesthetic and social contexts. It opens with an analysis of the Australian commemorative landscape and the proliferation of Great War Memorials constructed after 1918 and their ‘war imagining’ that positioned it as a national coming of age. The impact of foundational memorial design is explored through a number of memorials and monuments which have used traditional symbolism synonymous with the conservative ideological and aesthetic framework adopted during the inter-war years. The authors then analyse international developments over the same period, including Great War memorials in Europe, to determine the extent of their impact on Australian memorial and monument design. This analysis is juxtaposed with contemporary memorial design which gradually echoed increasing disillusionment with war and the adoption of abstract designs which moved away from a didactic presentation of information to memorials and monuments which encouraged the viewer’s interpretation. The increase of anti- or counter-war memorials is then examined in the context of voices which were often excluded in mainstream historical documentation and engage with the concept of absence. The selection of memorials also provides an important contribution in relation to the ideological and aesthetic contribution of war memorials and monuments and the extent of their relevance in contemporary society.https://www.hej-hermes.net/8-301 |
| spellingShingle | Martin Kerby Margaret Baguley Alison Bedford Richard Gehrmann If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory Historical Encounters: A Journal of Historical Consciousness, Historical Cultures, and History Education |
| title | If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory |
| title_full | If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory |
| title_fullStr | If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory |
| title_short | If these stones could speak: War memorials and contested memory |
| title_sort | if these stones could speak war memorials and contested memory |
| url | https://www.hej-hermes.net/8-301 |
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