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© Yves de Brabander. All rights reserved

BRING THE BOYS
BACK HOME

ANTWERP, 2012—2020

The depiction of these uniforms are not an
idolisation of their individualistic ideology...

 

 Bring the Boys back Home is an answer to the upcoming connotations of eroticism and shame of the nude (male) body in the arts. To be deprived of clothes may simply reference pure innocence and youth. For much of history nude men were represented martyrs and warriors.

 The photographs in this series are an extract from a bigger project, consisting of color photographs and reproduced grey-tone battle flags.
 Each individual work is translating a part from a bigger imaginary Triptych, deconstructed into individual figures.
By deconstructing an altar piece - like they were hidden in the Austrian Altaussee Salt Mines - Yves created a new narrative; bringing different works from one artist - before divided throughout Europe - back in to one space, as a mirror for the displacement of people during a war.

 The image of the soldier, in full armour, or bare chested, resembles strength and unity, but also cancels out individualism.
A military uniform; a dividing symbol of connection, a displaced outer shell vs Humanity - the nude body, a way to combat estrangement. The uniform reflects as a symbol of macho-culture, power, respect, privilege and prestige; deconstructed, or stripped down it may become more fragile, more vulnerable, humane, even tormented. Scraping back these layers of a symbol of privilege, we can identify easier with the emotional human being.
The uniforms used in these series are from different time periods and locations to translate a bigger historic scene without idolizing one specific incident nor ideology.

 All soldiers are the same, serving their country, protecting its values. Depicting them more vulnerable is something that could connect all of them, no matter what time period, race, place, identity nor belief.
 By portraying these soldiers like they were martyrs or saints in a classical painting like the Ghent altar piece, the scenes of Caravaggio, El Greco or the Final judgement, I have tried to zoom in on this displacement and vulnerability while creating one bigger mystic scene.