EXHIBITION
“Icon & Archive: Photography and the World Wars”
Australian War Memorial. Until October 12.
Reviewed by Jorian Gardner

THIS new exhibition from the Australian War Memorial is a captivating and unusual look at photography and its relationship with war. 
The material accompanying the works points out a fact that many of us have probably never thought about – that photographs are an inseparable part of war and they help us remember and commemorate events of which many of us have no direct experience.
Located in the special-exhibition section of the AWM, the vast array of personal items and images gives us a small glimpse into what the men and women of the various armed forces actually looked like, and shows the detail of some of the deplorable conditions our soldiers fought in. 
There are harsh landscapes brought to life in intriguing detail; greeting cards to loved ones and photographs attached to memorial cards that almost make you weep; famous photographs from Max Dupain (don’t miss his wonderful portrait – “Clement Seale drawing a profile of Captain Robert Emerson Curtis”) and many not-so-famous pictures by photographers who somehow instinctively knew that their subjects were worth going to the trouble of taking pictures of.
It is not only the photographs that remind us of war; you need only look a little closely at some of the exhibits such as photographs, circa 1917, where the frames are made entirely from propeller tips.
“Icon and Archive” is a stunning exhibition, although I must admit a little unfortunately titled – it doesn’t give it the grandeur it deserves.