Rescuedprisonersofwar,Balikpapan

Imagecopyright:Copyrightexpiredpublicdomain,ThisimageisinthePublicDomain

IDnumber ART22910

Title Rescuedprisonersofwar,Balikpapan

Collection Art

Objecttype Drawing

Artist Friend,Donald

Placemade Borneo:Balikpapan

Datemade 1945

Medium penandink,brushandwash,crayonandwhitegouacheonpaper

Measurement sheet:40x58.7cm[irregular]image:40x58.7cm[irregular]

Description

ThisworkdepictsAustraliansliberatedfromJapanesecustodyinBalikpapan,Borneo.FriendshowsthedeterioratingphysicalconditionofthemenheldprisonersoftheJapaneseaftersuchalongperiod.Theywereinabadstatefromfever,malnutrition,beriberiandgeneralilltreatment.In1942DonaldFriendenlistingwiththeAIF,waspostedasagunnertotheartilleryunitnearAlbury.In1945,hewasselectedforappointmentasofficialwarartist.HetravelledtoMorotai,LabuanandBalikpapan,recordingsightswhich

confrontedhimanddrawinginparticularontheexpressivepotentialofhumanform.Friendwasextraordinarilyprolific,producing53paintingsand143drawingsfortheMemorial.InAugust1945hetravelledtoBalikpapaninBorneo.