Dundee students highlight Scotland’s war

A major exhibition featuring work by University of Dundee art students is educating modern day Scots about the heroism and horrors of World War One.

‘What Do We Learn From All Th1s’ features 100 artworks highlighting individual stories of those affected by the conflict, with several pieces produced by students from the University’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.

The exhibition, commissioned by the Scottish Government, is currently on display in Dundee Central Library and provides a glimpse into the lives of people from across the country at the time, from factory workers to frontline soldiers. Detailed in traditional prints, the artworks are supported by augmented reality software to bring each account to life.

Among the DJCAD contributors was fourth year Illustration student Alice Prentice, whose print commemorates Lieutenant David McCabe, who rescued a sapling from the cratered battlefield of Passchendaele and sent it to his family in Crieff in an empty ammunition crate. The 32-year-old did not survive the war to see the spruce take root, on the spot where it stands proudly to this day.

The print captures the serenity of the established tree in a safe space, surrounded by shell casings and the chaos of the Belgian battlefield.

“The exhibition was first displayed at the Scottish Parliament and when I was travelling back to Dundee on the train I read the accompanying brochure about those who are featured. It highlighted to me how important every individual is and why we should always try to remember the sacrifices that they made.”

‘What Do We Learn From All Th1s’ is on show now at the Central Library, Dundee, until Friday 20 December.