Susan Hamer

From a series of works over a 10 year period entitled Memento. This series reflects my interest in the derelict and abandoned wartime structures left behind as monolithic reminders of war in our everyday landscape.

The  paintings of disused bunkers or pillboxes as they are most commonly known in Britain, are  based on the those found at  Rye Harbour in East Sussex.  The Sound Mirror paintings are inspired by those found at Denge, near Dungeness also in East Sussex. These were constructed in the 1930s as early aircraft listening devices, only to be abandoned  when superseded by radar, and left to listen on alone in the desolate landscape.

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The barrage balloon paintings are inspired by my childhood memories of growing up near Cardington, in Bedfordshire; where these once protectors of the wartime cities were used as weather balloons and were still a common sight.