Page 128 - ArtUnlimited

LiZ AShBURN

Master Profile

My recent paintings and sculpture were generated in response to encouraged by arms manufacturers and the carnage caused by suicide
continuing violence and conflict in the Middle East. Over time this body bombers. Arms manufacturers created the butterfly landmines used
of work has grown into a kind of meditation on the horror of war together by the Soviet army in Afghanistan, to attract and then maim or kill
with the beauty of art. My intention was to use the beauty of the Islamic children while suicide bombers and explosive makers randomly attack
decorative tradition together with the photographic reportage of the their fellow citizens.
war, which was easily available to us in Australia, to reflect my general
horror of war. The site of the Biblical garden of Eden was in Iraq between the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers. Ironically this supposedly idyllic area has recently
My concern was about the quality of life of those in the Middle East been a place of explosive force and destruction. During the early days
living in a state of fear because of ongoing conflicts. violence can in the invasion of Iraq, the oil refineries and pipelines were guarded,
brutalise many exposed to war. I am equally repelled both by the violence albeit not effectively. Meanwhile precious art works in the unprotected
Iraq Museum were wantonly stolen or destroyed. I could not understand
why these historic artefacts were not worth safeguarding. This apparent
indifference to Islamic culture existed despite the great masterpieces
of architecture, miniature painting and decorative arts.

In order to increase my understanding of the Islamic tradition in art
I learned some basic miniature painting techniques. I was amazed at
the beauty of the geometry and pattern making at the heart of this
art practice as well as the vitality of their responses to the natural
world. At the same time I was collecting media images of the war in
Iraq and conflict in the Middle East and was deeply moved by these
photographs. Consequently these two strands were combined in my
paintings by rendering media images together with an interpretation of
Islamic decoration.

 IRAQ sUITE: fAMILy fLEEINg, CERAMIC TILES AND DECALS 47X35 IN. /120X90 CM.
CENTrAL TILE IMAGE Is OF A FAMILY CAUGHT UP IN THE FIGHTING FLEEING PAsT A dEsTrOYEd
IrAqI T-55 TANK AFTEr A MOrTAr BOMB ATTACK ON BrITIsH ArMY POsITIONs IN BAsrA,
MArCH 28, 2003. PHOTOGrAPH BY rEUTErs/CHrIs HELGrEN. MAIN BOdY OF TILEs Is BAsEd
ON sEVENTEENTH CENTUrY HAFT-rANGI TILE WOrK, THE rOYAL MOsqUE, IsFAHAN.
LIz ASHBURN, EMErITUs PrOFEssOr AT THE UNIVErsITY OF NEW sOUTH WALEs,
KENsINGTON, sYdNEY AUsTrALIA (PHOTOGrAPHEr VIV MCGrEGOr) 

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