Jack Redd in Bastogne 1944.
Photo by Nicholas TO
Photography, World War II reenactments and the reimagining of history.
What is the purpose of this research?
Current research in humanities concerning the legitimacy of reimagining histories in public space through historical reenactment informs this practice-led research. Investigating new strategies for creating an authenticity through staged photographic performances and public presentations is explored in this study. A hybrid photo-based practice realized within the hobby of reenacting World War II, which interlocks with historical and contemporary photographic methods, will offer a visual methodology that supports constructing reimagined historical knowledge. Situating the focus of this project from 1938 to 1945 aligns with the history of war photography as established methods of staging scenes of battles intertwined with a new technique of embedded combat photography. The embedding of a war photographer into a military unit during World War II was an attempt to capture the realism of war and history in the making. Attaching to small groups of reenactors as a war photographer while adopting the methodology of combat photography provides the opportunity for close observations of the micro aspects of reenactment activities. This practice-led research project is occurring within the World War II reenactment communities in Midwest USA.
i) This research project will contribute to research candidate Peter Fitzpatrick obtaining a PhD from RMIT University in Australia https://www.rmit.edu.au/
ii) The research results will be used by the PhD research candidate Peter Fitzpatrick to obtain a DR208, PhD (Art) degree.
iii) This research has been initiated by the researcher, Associate Professor Shane Hulbert M.A., Dip. Ed., PhD, Associate Dean, Photography.
Who is Peter Fitzpatrick?
Peter is an Australian artist living in Chicago IL. He has been a Professor of Photography at Columbia College of Chicago since 2011 and has been engaged with photography practice since 1989. He works with still and moving image, reaching across analogue and digital technologies. He is currently a PhD Art candidate at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia. Peter is a member of 167th Signal Photo Company (HRS). Peter uses the alias of Jack Redd when embedding with units of reenactors.
Peter is an Australian artist living in Chicago IL. He has been a Professor of Photography at Columbia College of Chicago since 2011 and has been engaged with photography practice since 1989. He works with still and moving image, reaching across analogue and digital technologies. He is currently a PhD Art candidate at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia. Peter is a member of 167th Signal Photo Company (HRS). Peter uses the alias of Jack Redd when embedding with units of reenactors.
