Several years ago, Alberta artist and veteran, Alan Henderson, saw a number of friends and former colleagues go to and return from Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan. Over time their stories created a desire to express what he had been told and shown as art. He was drawn to the details that were being missed in the widely covered international moment. As the war was a big deal in his community, he created the difficult realities that he encountered, trying to reflect his own time and place as honestly as possible.
Henderson works in both contemporary and traditional mediums – carving marble, casting metals, drawing on a tablet and using 3D digital scanning. His drawings retell stories told by his colleagues but the style is derivative of the translation pamphlets used by the military to attempt communication between Afghans and foreigners. This series of sculptures and drawings combines a national view of the conflict in Afghanistan with striking examples of his friends’ personal recollections of their time serving with the Southern Alberta Light Horse Regiment.
Friday, January 16, 2015 – 11:45am to Saturday, February 28, 2015 – 12:00pm
Reception Date: Jan 16, 2015 – 7:00pm to 9:00pm
The Okotoks Art Gallery is located in the Station at 53 North Railway Street.