Charlie Calder-Potts had always been a daring individual. After falling in love with theMiddle Eastin her early twenties while traveling th...
Charlie Calder-Potts had always been a daring individual. After falling in love with theMiddle Eastin her early twenties while traveling throughLebanon and Syria, she was desperate to check offAfghanistan off her list.
"I had read about it and wanted to discover the mountainous region. I was also intrigued by how, throughout history, we have tried and failed to gain control over this area," Charlie says to Articlepedia Today.
A successful artist in LondonShe devised an innovative approach to realize her ambition by writing to every Army regiment she could locate, requesting to be embedded with British forces to gain firsthand experience of the country as a war artist. This position would involve capturing individuals, locations, and events related to conflict—rather than the combat itself—using various forms of media.
"I didn't know anyone in the military back then and had never been through a war. So, I believed becoming a war artist would offer me some understanding. At 26, I was young enough to be fairly naive and perhaps a little more courageous than I am today," Charlie, who is now 40, says.
When she received a letter from the 9th/12th Royal Lancers inviting her to join a tour, Charlie was overwhelmed.the moon– and also 'a bit scared'.
When she shared the plan with her parents, she admits they "were not thrilled" about her taking on the mission. However, with adventurous siblings and a history of living in various parts of the world, they couldn't help but support her as Charlie became the youngest ever female war artist commissioned by the British Army.
Following a training session in Dorset and her initial experience aboard a Chinook helicopter, Charlie gathered her camera and sketchbooks and joined the British Army in 2013, traveling to Camp Bastion in Lashkargah, which served as the primary center for British operations during the conflict in Afghanistan.
It was extremely strange – the camp was as big as Reading and Take That had played there the week prior to my arrival,' recalls Charlie. 'It was quite odd because there was a Costa Coffee where you could use tokens to buy things. However, it was enclosed by wire and gave off a prison-like atmosphere. You wanted to leave, but after a few days, you longed to return to experience that sense of security and safety once more.
As Charlie arrived, the Government revealed that British forces were being pulled out of Afghanistan, leaving many soldiers in anticipation of returning home.
"Alongside those serving on the front lines, there were individuals whose role was to stay at Camp Bastion for the entire six-month period, sorting ammunition crates without a break. So there was a feeling of danger, but also a lot of monotony," she explains.
Following her completion of mine detection training, Charlie was able to tour various bases in the area, including Kabul and the mountains further away, where she spent time watching and capturing images.
In retrospect, she valued the opportunity to witness the area's beauty through helicopter tours.
'It was extremely challenging to reconcile what was occurring while observing a stunning sunset from an observation tower, encircled by barbed wire and with the noise of gunfire nearby,' she states.
Beyond the camp, it felt as if viewing everything through a barrier – either from the other side of barbed wire or from within a bulletproof vehicle's window.
One photograph Charlie took showed a man holding a collection of helium balloons that floated above the terrain: 'It gave a small sense of hope, which we now realize was too optimistic. 'It was shot from behind barbed wire, yet it was an ordinary scene in a war setting. It's this contrast.'
You're constantly reminded that these are ordinary individuals striving to lead their lives, and that everyone deserves the opportunity to do so.
She also recovered metal from military vehicles and shell casings andphotography etched on top combined with oil painting."I was truly working on a part of history, recording individuals involved in it," Charlie explains.
In order to cope with the heat, Charlie would dress in lightweight layers and still recalls the fatigue she experienced due to the heat, combined with the dust and the burden of her body armor.
"It was extremely heavy – I can't imagine how soldiers handled their ammunition and all the other gear they carried," she says.
At night, while at the camp, she would rest in the women's area—occasionally by herself—in a sleeping bag on a camp bed inside a tent. However, there were times when separate facilities weren't available, so she had to display a sign to let others know when she was washing.
On one base, Charlie was the only woman among approximately 100 men, yet she claims she always felt very well taken care of. 'People were thankful for the chance to share their stories. I formed some strong friendships there. Everyone just wanted to discuss their girlfriends and wives and how much they missed their children.'
She observed individuals eagerly anticipating the moment they would be reconnected with their loved ones, and the happiness they experienced when receiving care packages from home filled with Mars Bars and jars of Marmite.
Politically, I didn't support the UK's involvement in Afghanistan, but I left with deep admiration for the people there. You can't truly grasp a situation until you're part of it," she explains. "They were separated from their families, risking their lives, losing limbs, and facing PTSD. I had a great deal of respect for how they looked out for one another and made every effort to protect each other.
Charlie's most frightening experience happened when she was about to return home, traveling in a four-wheel drive with military personnel from the capital to Helmand at the end of her four-week tour.
"Everyone was completely silent in the car, and that wasn't usual. I could sense something was wrong, but I had no idea what was happening. It was a quiet, calm nervousness. No one was frantic – it was simply a stillness," she recalls.
When I arrived at the airport, they informed me that they had intercepted a Taliban radio communication revealing a suicide bomber was targeting our convoy vehicles. I was made fully aware of the risks before heading out, yet I was glad I wasn't exactly sure what was happening at the time. That trip only lasted half an hour but seemed to stretch on forever.
Although this was to be Charlie's only tour as a war artist, she has spent her career traveling to areas of conflict.Iraqand Syria, working alongside the British Arts Council in Iran and providing support in refugee camps, but her life has changed significantly nowadays.
After having two children, she is more likely to be discovered in her local Herefordshire forest rather than in Europe, gathering plants and seeds to create paint.
She has also recently worked withWar Child in Sound & Visionexhibition, featuring pieces influenced by the words of Kate Bush.
Now, she is focusing on more tranquil projects, gathering soil, rocks, and oak apple galls, from which she can create pigments using the same method as ancient artists from Mesopotamia.
It is part of a new initiative inspired by a medieval medical manuscript known as theTacuinum sanitatis– a guide to health and wellness composed in the 11th century in Baghdad, originally in Arabic, and subsequently translated into Latin, spreading throughout Europe.
I deeply cherish traditional methods and the connections they create among people. Throughout my career, I've traced the Silk Road, and I appreciate how many ideas have been exchanged through trade.
‘The Tacuinum sanitatisMentions that the key factors for maintaining good health are herbal treatments, proper breathing, physical activity, and mental well-being—just as they are now. I appreciate how these concepts unite us in a contemporary context and reflect on the core of what it means to be human.
You have the option to contribute to War Child, an organization that assists children affected by conflicts in various parts of the globe, atwarchild.org.uk
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