The Shadows Hide the Darkness Within
Paul Wheeler
This event has concluded
Dates:
Entry Fee:
Free
Exhibition Event:
Official Opening
14/05/2016 2:00 pm
A series of portraits of Australian military veterans from contemporary conflicts including World War II, Vietnam, the Falkland Islands, Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, East Timor and Afghanistan.
The series aims to go beyond a representation of ex-servicemen and women and instead convey the personal experience of witnessing the trauma of war. In some cases, this has resulted in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). By including servicemen and women from all contemporary conflicts the artist hopes to highlight the fact that, although the term PTSD is a modern one, the condition existed long before the term was coined.
Many of the subjects pictured have lived with the effects of their service for decades. Some have recently been diagnosed with PTSD, while others have never sought help, instead choosing to battle on alone.
Paul Wheeler served in the Australian Defence Force for more than twenty years. He saw active service in East Timor and Iraq and undertook training missions in Solomon Islands and Indonesia. His areas of expertise include Counter Landmine Warfare, High Risk Search, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence (CBRND).
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