Shrouds of the Somme

I went out to Bristol today, thinking this opportunity would certainly provide an abstract image for Thursday. It was more than that though.  In a week full of bitter news, it was a wakeful reminder that it can always be worse.

Shrouds of the Somme is an art installation by a Somerset artist, Rob Heard, and comprises 19,240 shrouded model bodies - all individually crafted, and the shrouds hand stitched. 19,240 is the number of men who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, one hundred years ago.

It first went on display in Exeter, on 1st July; that being the date of the centenary, and some of the bodies have been sold for charity and replaced here with wooden blocks. They don't diminish any of the effect.

So many stories laid out here, all come to an unexpected and unwanted ending in one day. It's about as Abstract as it comes, and so I'm tagging it #AT72, along with all the others.

With thanks to Robert for his final Abstract Thursday here on Blipfoto.