In early 2015, the team at HRD was invited to a meeting at the Army Museum in Waiouru with the Collections Manager, to discuss the possibility of my involvement in one of their upcoming exhibitions. The exhibition plans were well advanced by this stage but the museum team were looking for some input around textural representation and some replica food items. After a period of discussion the decision was made to proceed in the line of a stylistic approach, with some textured surfaces to the constructed forms rather than a totally realistic replication, which in some cases can detract from the artefacts on display.
After the meeting we returned to the HRD studio space to do some material research and testing to locate suitable products to be used in the display. These products would need be durable enough to handle the high use requirement of a museum gallery space. Once this was done we created some samples for the museum staff to view, and a material was chosen. The team at HRD was commissioned to supply the replica model food and the 3D elements which would make up part of the gallery as laid out by the exhibition crew at the museum.
We carried out the sculptural work on site in the museum's work space in Waiouru over a two week period. This included carving and texture finishing the trench and various other items as required by the design brief. The items were painted and installed in the gallery and then we returned to the studio to produce the food items necessary for the display.
'Gallipoli, Ripping Yarns From The Peninsular' was the first of many contracts for the Museum, and eventually Joel became their Exhibitions Coordinator.