Flight from Silence, solo exhibition, 2015

The story of War Pigeons and in particular the subjects of this body of work, being the 32 Pigeons awarded medals for WW2 service, is one of remarkable bravery, with their delivered messages contributing towards saving countless lives during WW2.
Always interested in the symbolic power of birds, Seward’s interest led to research into the thirty-two Pigeons who received a Dickin medal following WW2. Two were Australian, are taxidermied, and reside in storage at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The others were from the United Kingdom, and one from the USA. To research their stories Lisa visited Bletchly Park (Pigeon Hut No 8) in England, as well as the War Memorial in Canberra where she spent time with the taxidermied pigeons and the messages they delivered.

In addition to paintings and works on paper, an installation of Drop Parachutes that were used in WW2 to deliver items such as medical supplies, mail, and messenger Pigeons were installed in the gallery. These small parachutes, the avian and wartime experience of flight, risk and valour subtly converged. Details of the Pigeons and their Dickin Medals are included in the Exhibition Information Catalogue [click here for the PDF file]

Anna Taylor for your collaboration
Jane Peek and Craig Blanch, Australian War Memorial, for research assistance
Dr Julie Cotter, Opening Speaker