Reflect Two

This sculpture, ‘Reflect two’, commemorates World War One and Handforth’s Soldiers. The sculpture ‘Reflect’ was originally displayed in 2014 to commemorate the start of World War One and has now been adapted as ‘Reflect two’ for the end of the war. The left hand locker sees a group of soldiers – survivors of the ‘war to end all wars’. The mirrored surfaces reflect the soldiers and hint at the multiplicity of men who did not return. The surfaces also invite the viewer to reflect on their own engagement with this and subsequent wars. To emphasise this point, the debris and flags* encourage us to consider the wars that are still taking place around the world. The right hand locker sees fewer soldiers; reminding us of the losses since 1918. They stand in a field of wheat looking forward to a time when the battlefields are restored to agriculture. The Sculpture uses contemporary materials and laser cutting in order to bring it today’s world and reminds us that although these events happened 100 years ago we are still encountering wars today. Perhaps it is time to reflect, respect and re-think our human relationships. *The flags are of Afghanistan, Burma / Myanmar, Libya, Syria and Yemen.