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Description
The Flower of War is the first photograph in a series of eleven titled "The Flowers of War"

***

"The Flowers of War" is a photography series that uses flowers to depict the glorified reality of warfare. This series of eleven photographs portrays seemingly innocent photographs of flowers that reveal their true nature through their names.

War is an ugly truth that is never revealed fully till many centuries after. During war, there are times where the reports make the situation seem like these beautiful flowers, pleasant and appealing to the masses. However the reality is very far from what you are told. You soon find that these flowers, these reports, are merely fronts to keep the concerned public satiated and happy. They glorify the war too, not only to placate the worries of the public but to encourage registration and donation, especially if the war is prolonged. There are times when what you see is not the truth and these photos are representative of the lie.

“Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori” - It is sweet and right to die for your country. This phrase was made famous by the WW1 war poet Wilfred Owen and it is a phrase that aptly describes these flowers. Flowers are sweet and many countries have their own signature flowers as well. In our daily life, flowers are used for many purposes. They are used as gifts, greetings and decorations, we even send them to say goodbye to the deceased. We use flowers in this way because they are known to make people happy, to decrease anxiety and to strengthen feelings of compassion. The scent of flowers is also used in some perfumes, added into drinks for added flavor and at times, to cure illnesses. Flowers are supposed to make you feel better. This is why I have chosen to use flowers to depict the facade that is the glorification of war, which is designed to make you feel better.

Then there is the issue of the truth of my photographs. Are they real? Have they been fabricated? Are the flowers plastic? Just believe in what you see to be true. Believe in yourself and you will never get lost in the fog of war.

***

I understand that the name of this series is similar to that of the movie of the same name. I was not aware of this prior to the naming of the series. I find the movie quite relevant to this series though.

The Flowers of War photography series was taken at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome and Cloud Forest attractions.

The only editing I did to the photographs are through Photoshop's Color Balance and Curve tool.
You may notice some "noise" in one or two works such as "The Broken". I assure you, this is intentional (otherwise I wouldn't have chosen them).

Click here to view the rest of the series

Description
The Flower of War is the first photograph in a series of eleven titled "The Flowers of War"

***

"The Flowers of War" is a photography series that uses flowers to depict the glorified reality of warfare. This series of eleven photographs portrays seemingly innocent photographs of flowers that reveal their true nature through their names.

War is an ugly truth that is never revealed fully till many centuries after. During war, there are times where the reports make the situation seem like these beautiful flowers, pleasant and appealing to the masses. However the reality is very far from what you are told. You soon find that these flowers, these reports, are merely fronts to keep the concerned public satiated and happy. They glorify the war too, not only to placate the worries of the public but to encourage registration and donation, especially if the war is prolonged. There are times when what you see is not the truth and these photos are representative of the lie.

“Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori” - It is sweet and right to die for your country. This phrase was made famous by the WW1 war poet Wilfred Owen and it is a phrase that aptly describes these flowers. Flowers are sweet and many countries have their own signature flowers as well. In our daily life, flowers are used for many purposes. They are used as gifts, greetings and decorations, we even send them to say goodbye to the deceased. We use flowers in this way because they are known to make people happy, to decrease anxiety and to strengthen feelings of compassion. The scent of flowers is also used in some perfumes, added into drinks for added flavor and at times, to cure illnesses. Flowers are supposed to make you feel better. This is why I have chosen to use flowers to depict the facade that is the glorification of war, which is designed to make you feel better.

Then there is the issue of the truth of my photographs. Are they real? Have they been fabricated? Are the flowers plastic? Just believe in what you see to be true. Believe in yourself and you will never get lost in the fog of war.

***

I understand that the name of this series is similar to that of the movie of the same name. I was not aware of this prior to the naming of the series. I find the movie quite relevant to this series though.

The Flowers of War photography series was taken at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome and Cloud Forest attractions.

The only editing I did to the photographs are through Photoshop's Color Balance and Curve tool.
You may notice some "noise" in one or two works such as "The Broken". I assure you, this is intentional (otherwise I wouldn't have chosen them).

Click here to view the rest of the series