Description
Object description
Canadian civilian artist in Kosovo, 2000
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Canada and GB, 1963-1999: family; education; decision to travel after completing studies; travelling through Yugoslavia; employment as technician at Victoria and Albert Museum, London; attitude towards art establishment; artistic interest in conflict; influence of artist grandfather who served during First World War and that of war artist relative, Cyril Barraud; meeting documentary film maker, Kersti Uibo; invitation to accompany Kersti Uibo to Kosovo. Recollections of period as civilian artist in Kosovo, 2000: journey to Kosovo; entering country; obtaining Kosovo Force (KFOR) pass.
REEL 2 Continues: sight of wrecked vehicles, household items and mass graves of Kosovan Liberation Army along roads; first impressions of Pristina; question of fear; difficulties finding accommodation; living conditions; food supplies; role in assisting Kirsti; finding transport; period at Grancanica Monastery; Kersti Uibo's attitude towards Father Sava Janjic's political activity; refugees staying at Grancanica Monastery; relations between Albanians and Serbs; making sketches whilst at Grancanica Monastery; preference of producing paintings rather than taking photographs.
REEL 3 Continues: problems with mines and other live ordnance left on land; gradual improvement in living conditions over two month stay; devastation of buildings in Pristina; rebuilding work and prefabricated houses; tense situation; reuse of Serbo-Croat or Albanian languages; attitude of local people towards their work; willingness of people to talk about their experiences; story of refugee woman who asked him to photograph her paralysed son; visiting Prizren Refugee Camp, Prizren; description of Prizren Refugee Camp; conditions in Prizren Refugee Camp
REEL 4 Continues: atmosphere in Prizren Refugee Camp; story of how emotional performance of young refugee opera singer caused them to stop filming in Prizren Refugee Camp; psychological impact of situation on refugees; position of Serbs in Kosovo today; attitude of Albanians towards North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) air strikes in 1999; question of ethnic cleansing; question of existence of Kosovo Liberation Army 'mafia' style organisation; situation of children in area; attending Kosovo Force (KFOR) press briefings; importance of distinguishing selves from media; relations with Kosovo Force (KFOR) and Non-Governmental Organisations; meeting up with his brother working for Kosovo Force (KFOR).
REEL 5 Continues: meeting up with brother; impressions of Russian forces attached to Kosovo Force (KFOR); living conditions of American forces serving with Kosovo Force (KFOR) at Bondsteel Camp; story of 'Village of Women' where all the men had been killed; attitude of Albanian Kosovans towards future and coming elections; attitude of Albanians towards North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); completingsix paintings during stay in Kosovo; leaving two paintings in Pristina for exhibition and for Bishop Artemje Radosavljevic; contrast of life inside Gracanica Monastery with that outside; attitude towards number of Serb churches destroyed; political situation today; position of Kosovan Serbs; attitude of Kosovan Albanians towards Serbs; attitude towards returning to GB; psychological impact of period in Kosovo.
REEL 6 Continues: aims when producing paintings of Kosovo; symbols that sum up situation in Kosovo. Reflections on painting relating to period in Kosovo, 2000: painting of lorries queuing at border in Macedonia; interest in portraying human as well as military side of situation; painting of Swedish Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldier guarding Gracanica Monastery; painting of Canadian Kosovo Force (KFOR) escort for medical team; painting of Italian Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldier protecting Decani Monastery; first impressions of Decani Monastery; story of how Albanian driver entered Decani Monastery; use of colour; painting of a minefield; impressions of mine clearance; impact of mines on countryside; painting of United States Marine Corps on exercise; painting of Canadian medical team at converted cattle farm; process of converting farm into refugee camp; voluntary work of Kosovo Force (KFOR) personnel; painting of paralysed man, son and mother.
REEL 7 Continues: attitude of refugees towards each other at camps; painting of queue of people waiting for identification cards; painting of elderly Muslim woman in Peja; contrast between attitude of elderly and young in Kosovo; painting of stray dogs; how stray dogs were a common sight; painting of dead, half-eaten Russian soldier; attitude towards painting this scene; continuation of attacks on Serbs; painting of burning rubbish; amount of rubbish littering country; painting of abandoned Serb village; use of child's palette of paints found in village to add colour to painting; painting of child's wellington boots; picture of kitchen inside of looted, burnt house.
REEL 8 Continues: calling painting of burnt kitchen 'Preserves'; reasons for not generally giving titles to paintings; painting of destroyed mountain village; story of visiting this village with Kosovo Force (KFOR) personnel; family still living in village; common sight of yellow mine tape; aim to produce about one hundred small paintings on Kosovo and plans for exhibition; impact of visit to Kosovo on his art; difficulty of explaining situation in Kosovo to those who have not been there.
