STEPHEN SMITH
On the Beach
Oil on canvas
105 x 105cm (framed)
“On the Beach” is a tribute to my grandfather, Gordon “Roy” Asprey DCM, and his fellow soldiers of the Railway Supply Detachment (11th AASC).
Based on detail of a photograph taken in September 1915 (unknown photographer, donated to the Australian War Memorial by G Bruce) it depicts the men on Anzac Beach in front of the piles of boxes at the Medical Comfort Store.
Despite the adversity these men undoubtedly faced while performing their duties during “a considerable period daily under fire”, I’m drawn to their apparent relaxed demeanor and in particular, the grinning face of my grandfather, Roy (who I fittingly knew as “Poppy”).
By re-interpreting the small photographic image into a painting I’ve aimed to breath humanness into the figures, to feel the courage and comradeship between these men as they pose on the beach.
While capturing some realism, I’ve also kept the painting loose and not fully resolved, with a mild sepia effect though the exposed underpainting and selective glazing.
