Cassandra Coshan
The invisible enemy 2008

photocopy on yellow paper, coloured pencil, shoe polish, bitumen and shellac
49.0 x 124.0 cm
Ave Maria College, Aberfeldie
 
The quote 'Even an invisible enemy can kill', by David Malouf, inspired me to portray the emotional ramifications of war. I studied the human form and the interdependence between the physical and emotional wellbeing of individuals – how physical form is affected by the strength or weakness of the human spirit. The futility and loss of life which characterised the First World War influenced my depiction of the faces of the soldiers. Using graphite pencils, shoe polish, shellac and bitumen on newsprint represented the physical conditions of warfare and intensified the sense of desperation and loss.