WAHAB Dec 18 2010

As part of being exhibited in the 2019 Napier Waller Art Prize exhibition, Robert Cooper provided the following artist statement about his work:

"It was another freezing night, so the warmth of the early morning sun was greeted by all that were on that barren feature/hill in the Baluchi Valley. A convoy of Australian and American vehicles had just arrived from Tarin Kot. They were loaded with equipment to build a patrol base (PB), on that barren piece of dirt. The PB was to be named “WAHAB”. Sergeant Foote, ‘bombs up’ [an Army term referring to putting on personal combat equipment] and walked off to meet and greet the convoy that was at the base of the hill awaiting direction. All was well, the sun was warm. An Afghan National Army (ANA) hummer came towards us, heading down the hill. Then – “crump!” – a massive explosion that shocked the senses. At subsonic speed a piece of shrapnel just missed Sergeant Foote’s head. The ANA hummer had driven onto an improvised explosive device. I stood there, transfixed, and watched a mushroom cloud that grew to a height of at least 60 metres, and right at the very top appeared the hummer’s road-wheel. It floated for an eternity and then returned back down to earth, hitting the ground and rolling down the hill before it lost momentum and tipped on its side. The tyre’s war was over." (Robert Cooper, 2019)

'WAHAB Dec 18 2010' was judged highly commended as part of the Memorial's 2019 Napier Waller Art Prize. Presented in partnership with Thales Australia, the University of Canberra, The Road Home, and the Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA), the Napier Waller Art Prize aims to promote artistic excellence, the healing potential of art for military personnel, and raise a broader awareness of the impact of service on the individual. In its second year, the Napier Waller Art Prize attracted over 110 entries.