History
Airbourne – Living Memory
Carly Bathelor. Airborne brings together two bodies of work ‘Living Memory’ and ‘Blackdown Blueprints’ which explore the legacy of WW2. Both bodies of work draw inspiration from the history of three WW2 airfields based in the Blackdown Hills and the personal memories from those involved in the war effort.
About the Exhibit
The series ‘Living Memory’ includes photographic portraits of members of the 101st Airborne who were billeted near Aldbourne in Berkshire, trained at Ramsbury in Wiltshire and flew from Upottery Airfield on the Devon/Somerset border for the D Day landings, therefore connecting the military history of the Greenham Common area with the military history in the South West of England.
‘Blackdown Blueprints’ explores the historical WW2 airfield sites and military aircraft used within three airfields located within the Blackdown Hills on the Devon/Somerset border, RAF Dunkeswell, RAF Culmhead and Upottery Airfield. Using an early photographic process Cyanotype, also known as ‘blueprint’, the work utilises the blueprint process through the exploration of old maps, and old photographs of military aircraft. The aircraft featured in the prints the Dakota, Spitfire and Liberator were flown also from many other airfields up and down the country as part of the war effort.
Carly Batchelor is a Photographer/Artist and photography lecturer based in South West England.
‘Living Memory’ was funded by Arts Council England and Making it Local as part of ‘Skills Unearthed: Art of the Blackdowns in 2013
Useful Facts
Running from
January 4, 2020 - March 8, 2020