Drawing with gunpowder to explore war through the eyes of children
Published On Mon 24 Aug 2015 by Roddy Isles
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has inspired a Dundee-based artist to create a series of humanitarian gunpowder drawings, where the artworks are created with explosions in controlled conditions.
Dina Mackins has prepared her exhibition at the University of Dundee’s Masters Show specifically to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
Dina, who is of Russian lineage, has worked with armed forces personnel and veterans both in the UK and Russia to help create her haunting images. She has developed a new technique combining gunpowder with handmade ink, ash and charcoals to make her finished pieces.
The explosion of the gunpowder leaves marks on the paper, the colour and intensity of them varying depending on which one of the six different types of gunpowder is used.
“The work that emerges from this is fragile and vulnerable but at the same time it is made of powerful killing materials,” said Dina, who is graduating from the MFA Arts & Humanities programme at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, part of the University of Dundee.
Her work can be seen at Masters Show 2015 at the University of Dundee this week. The opening of the Show was marked by a visit to Dina’s exhibition by the Russian Vice-Consul Timofey Kunitskiy. Dina has forthcoming exhibitions at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow and the Contemporary Museum of Tatarstan in Russia.
“My childhood in Russia was overshadowed by the Cold War to the extent that I was trained at school to shoot a gun and don a gas mask,” said Dina. “My grandfather was a decorated veteran and my uncle had been in action in Russia’s war in Afghanistan, so it was something that surrounded me for a long time.
“I have an inherent dislike of war and when the conflict in Ukraine started it inspired me to express this and raise awareness of current world conflicts and show their direct connection to past historical events.
“I have based much of my art work on private and government archives and have prepared my Masters Show specifically to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. My research is based on `Operation Pied Piper’ – the evacuation of children from London – and the `Clydebank Blitz’ – the evacuation of children from Glasgow to rural locations believed to be beyond the reach of German air attacks. Furthermore, I am creating a parallel between the United Kingdom and Russia by finding similarities between these events and the evacuation of Russian Children during WW2.
“I have worked with injured veterans of previous conflicts. My uncle always used to tell me that the best ambassadors for peace would be people who had been to war, because they have seen the full terror it can bring.”
Dina’s exhibition can be seen at Masters Show 2015, which opened at the weekend and runs until Saturday August 29th in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.
Transformative design and visually stunning art from five of the UK’s most innovative and exciting postgraduate courses – MSC Animation & Visualisation, MFA Art & Humanities, MFA Art Society & Publics. MSC Forensic Art, MSC Medical Art – will be exhibited by over 50 students.
It follows on from the University’s record breaking Art, Design and Architecture Degree Show earlier this summer, which was viewed by 15,000 people over ten days in May.
The Masters Show will remain open until Saturday, 29th August. The exhibition is open from 10am-8pm on weekdays and from 10am-4pm at weekends.
For more information see www.dundee.ac.uk/mastersshow
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk