R emembrance Day in November, with itsmessage of reflection on the sacrificesmade by brave servicemen andwomen, is captured none better than by Nic Joly’s poignant miniature 3D sculpture, ‘ Never Forgotten’. Using the poppy, the ultimate symbol of remembrance, Joly created the piece tomark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WorldWar I. His inspiration came fromamovingmeetingwith a
Also in the Nic Joly Collection
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ninety-six year oldwar veteranwho spoke to Joly about his experiences inWorldWar II and those of his father inWorldWar I. With humbling reticence, the veteran utteredwords that will forever resonatewith courage and fortitude: “Wewere just doing our job.” For Joly, past and present combined at that moment and history transformed from imperson- al words in a book into something very real and tangible.
The deeply touching ‘Never Forgotten’ is Joly’s own inimitable way of recognising that war veterans don’t want sympathy – they simplywant their fallen comrades to be remembered. “In my own small way, I want this piece to remind us that all those who have given their lives in conflicts fromWorldWar I until the present day, will be Never Forgotten.” Joly creates his tiny and delicatemasterpieces from intricately painted paper and cotton-wrappedwire. The former furniture maker began crafting themafter his first sonwas born, when he left small doors, people andwindows around the house for him to find and be intrigued by. Realising that these creations were like small pieces of theatre echoing theworld around us, he started to frame thembehind glass. Washington Green has raised thousands through galleries by donating £100 from the sale of every piece to The Royal British Legion, to help Joly reach his goal of raising £150,000 to help support war veterans past and present.
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GALLERY The new collection fromNic Joly is available now. Viewonline at washingtongreen.co.uk
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AUTUMN2014 FIN e ARTC o LL e CT o R 29
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