Richard Thorn SWAc – Artist & Tutor

Growing up close to the war years, my imagination was fuelled by the many war-stories and films that seemed to bombard my childhood. The war in the Pacific was a distant reality compared to the close-to-home reality of the European war. As a boy, I was fascinated by the 'romance' of the Pacific war – a war set in the sunlit islands of the South Pacific. I was mesmerised by the images of the blue sea, the colourful fighter planes and the palm trees of the islands. These were the 'attractions' that caught my imagination, not realizing the horrors and carnage that took place on those white, coral beaches. Yet, those images would stay with me into my adult life and eventually emerge in this project. The further into the project I went, the more the full horror of what occurred in that war became clear. The paintings in this project reflect both my romantic 'notions' and also the horror that was the War in the Pacific. There are over 30 paintings in the current collection and will be exhibited at a venue (or online) under the auspices of John Davies (John Davies Gallery, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos}. Date TBC

Pacific War Project

“Advance on Suribachi “(click to see larger image)

“Near Miss” (click to see larger image)

“Corsair” (click to see larger image)

“Kamikazi Hit” (click to see larger image)

“Bluebird” (click to see larger image)

“The Silence” (click to see larger image)

Growing up close to the war years, my imagination was fuelled by the many war-stories and films that seemed to bombard my childhood. The war in the Pacific was a distant reality compared to the close-to- home reality of the European war. As a boy, I was fascinated by the 'romance' of the Pacific war – a war set in the sunlit islands of the South Pacific. I was mesmerised by the images of the blue sea, the colourful fighter planes and the palm trees of the islands. These were the 'attractions' that caught my imagination, not realizing the horrors and carnage that took place on those white, coral beaches. Yet, those images would stay with me into my adult life and eventually emerge in this project. The further into the project I went, the more the full horror of what occurred in that war became clear. The paintings in this project reflect both my romantic 'notions' and also the horror that was the War in the Pacific. There are over 30 paintings in the current collection and will be exhibited at a venue (or online) under the auspices of John Davies (John Davies Gallery, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos). Date TBC