“Doubled Guard." Wars of Attrition Series 2013. Photo by Benedicte Kurzen for Sunday Times.” Collage

This is a series of collages using sandpaper cut into shapes and glued onto newsprint photographs of wars, terrorist attacks, and other militaristic scenes. These photographs of conflicts around the world are an everyday staple of newspapers and magazines and I had found myself becoming anaesthetised to the horror of them. So my motive in creating these collages is to force a reappraisal of these images using sandpaper as a symbol of attrition. The photographs I have chosen to use are ones which are excellent in their own right and have already been picked for publication by highly discerning picture editors. My additional criterion is that each photograph should present the opportunity for me to counterpoint the image using pieces of sandpaper cut into shapes. These shapes are either derived from some key graphic element of the photo, or an imaginative extrapolation from it. Quite often the sandpaper addition is designed to point up the endless reciprocity of man's violence against man, or to suggest the alter ego or 'ghost' of a person who may or may not have survived the engagement. I hope that the net result in each case does justice to the original photograph and makes the viewer take another and more empathetic look - if they're like me they'll have seen these photos before, but passed them by all too easily. Maybe these sandpapered images are just that little bit harder to ignore. Wherever possible I've credited the photographer or photographic agency on the back of the image where usually I've also noted the publication from which I took the cutting. Sadly these photographers names are usually omitted from the newspapers and magazines in which their work appears, and often only their agency’s name is printed. If any photographer recognises one of their photos I would be delighted to hear from them. Hamish Pringle

Collage:Paper on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:12.2 W x 9.1 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.