An emotional trip to a crash site on an Italian mountain, where her Great Grandfather's Halifax bomber was shot down during World War II, has inspired a poignant and moving art exhibition by Loz Atkinson.
Loz, who graduated from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) with a degree in Fine Art in 2007, has put together a collection of objects, including wreckage from the site, to explore ideas of sacrifice and remembrance, how objects hold memories and the human trait of honouring ancestry and heritage.
Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Arts Council-funded exhibition Finding the Fallen - A Pilgrim's Journey of Remembrance, is at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, New Walk, until November 15.
Here Loz talks about the trip to Monte Zetta and what it means to honour Great Grandfather Arthur Pinder and the crew of Halifax Bomber JP237.
Tell us about the inspiration for your exhibition…
The 'Finding the Fallen' project has been a labour of love for many years. My Grandad has always told me stories of his Father, my Great Grandfather Arthur Pinder, for as long as I can remember.
He told me how Arthur flew in a Halifax bomber aircraft and was shot down and killed over Italy in World War II and how he lied about his age to be able to join flight crew in the RAF.
It was that fact about his age and that there was some mystery about how old he actually was that really intrigued me.
So, over the years, I privately researched and tried to find as much as I could about him, which then grew and grew into the project and exhibition.
I wanted to explore ideas of pilgrimage and remembrance, how objects hold memories and how it is a universal human trait to honour our ancestry and heritage. I wanted to concentrate on individual sacrifice and cross border collaboration, without glorifying the war or validating nationalistic rhetoric. There is still so much more work I want to make from my experiences and research.
How did it feel to visit the crash site where your Great Grandfather had died?
It was a completely life changing experience, which, to be honest, I think I am still processing.
It has been such a monumental undertaking with so much to organise and coordinate that at some points it seemed an act of self-preservation to not think too much about the personal aspects of it.
But being up on the mountain in the most beautiful of surroundings, knowing the tragic and violent events which took place directly under my own feet, was simply overwhelming.
Finding pieces of the aircraft, and how twisted and distorted the metal was, was hard hitting enough.
But when we actually found a button from one of the men's uniform it was so heart-breaking and very surreal. There I sat in a dense forest, on a mountainside in the middle of rural northern Italy, holding what could have been my great grandfather's button that he wore the moment he died in such horrendous circumstances. I don't think that moment will ever leave me.
Francesco Sabini is an Italian Aeronautical Archaeologist and was absolutely pivotal in the project. He found the crash site more than 10 years ago and graciously agreed to help with the project - guiding us up the mountain and sharing his extensive research.
He kindly gifted me a piece from his collection which was the heel section of one of the airmen's boots. Again, to hold such an object… there are no words.
In the military there's a saying "died with his boots on", roughly meaning killed in action, and here I am holding what could have been the boot that my great grandfather was wearing at the moment he was killed. It was almost too much to bear.
There were so many poignant moments while we were on the mountain but another that really stands out was on the first day when we climbed to the top of Monte Zetta to see the sunset. That was an experience in itself, but as we climbed down the mountain in the dark the forest was enveloped by fireflies.
Thousands of twinkling lights broke the darkness, almost illuminating our way and, in those moments, I could definitely see why ancient peoples would think these were spirits of their ancestors. It proved a good omen for the rest of the trip.
What can people expect to see in the exhibition? How did you put it together?
The exhibition combines contemporary art and history to tell the story of my Great Grandfather in WW2 and my journey up the mountain which has helped create such a poignant display.
Objects on show include Halifax aircraft parts including a Bristol Hercules aircraft engine, propeller and landing gear section all reworked into sculpture.
Wreckage from my Great Grandfather's aircraft brought back from the Italian site is there and some of his personal effects, including his RAF Diary from the year he died.
There is beautiful photographic documentation of the journey captured by photographer and former DMU lecturer Zoe Childerley.
I was exceptionally lucky to work with Zoe and she captured the work I created in the mountain's terrain incredibly. A video work also tells the story and shows the making of a couple of the pieces included, so I hope here is something for everyone to enjoy.
How does it feel to have your own solo exhibition?
It's incredible! A lot of time and hard work has gone into the show by a variety of amazing people who I can't thank enough.
To see it finally become a reality means a great deal to me. I've achieved many things throughout my career as an artist but this is very special as it's so personal.
To have the work in Leicester Museum and Art Gallery is fantastic. I've lived in Leicester ever since graduating from DMU, so to have the support from Arts Council England and from Leicester Museums has been great and shows that ambitious work can and is being made outside of the traditional creative hubs.
Leicester has always had an incredible creative scene and it's about time the city and the rest of the country took notice!
What's next for you?
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of my projects and art fairs have been cancelled or postponed so a well-earned rest is on the cards for now.
Plans are being drawn up for more work I want to make inspired by this project and hopefully to show this work again in a couple more venues.
Next year, I will be having another solo exhibition - this time at Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester. This show will focus on my painted works, which depict interstellar space and nebula combined with geometry.
I'm really excited about the new work I have planned for it and I hope, COVID pending, to be back in full swing soon.
How are you and fellow artists in Leicester coping during the pandemic?
As is the case for absolutely everyone in this terrifyingly bizarre new normal we find ourselves in, it's had a profound effect on people.
If I'm honest I haven't been hugely creative during this time. Apart from being busy with the logistical aspects of installing and promoting the exhibition, I've mostly used this time to reflect on my practice and where I want it to go, but not really been painting or creating.
I think it's not hugely helpful to be so toxically positive in these times. You've got to try and see the good and keep doing the best you can, but it's also OK not to be OK during a global pandemic!
I'm really lucky to have a great supportive community around me at StudionAme where I have my studio in Leicester. They've been producing large-scale projects for its members and wider community throughout lockdown giving artists motivation and work to focus on.
The Artist Support Pledge set up by Matthew Burrows, who has now received a well-deserved MBE, has been a huge source of inspiration, support and income for many, and I think the Arts Council has responded amazingly to the crisis.
There is always more that can and should be done to support the arts and artists, especially in these times of hardship where millions have turned to the arts for comfort and solace.
Find out more about the exhibition and visiting times
Posted on Monday 26 October 2020