Planes dogfight over the black devastation of the Western Front. Below them tanks and cannons pound away at vulnerable soldiers, trapped in trenches by shell explosions and poisonous gas. Below that chaos, the heavily defended ridges of Gallipoli and the peace and order of homes left behind.
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Australia's experiences in World War I have been distilled into a richly detailed artwork to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. Commissioned by Fairfax Media, Anzac 100: Australia and the Great War is by artist Jim Kaucz.
Mr Kaucz took inspiration for the work from the Australian War Memorial, whose head of military heraldry and technology, Nick Fletcher, praised the intricate detail of the work and its overview of the nation's war experiences.
"There is a lot of complex detail and a huge variety of images examining the war in a small area. This is an image where every time you look at it you can spot a new detail," Mr Fletcher said.
"All of the campaigns and theatres [of war] Australia was involved in have been covered," he said.
Mr Fletcher said many of the visual references – such as a Kodak sign marking the fact this was the first conflict recorded through snapshots as well as by professional image makers, the use of the Australian flag, which had been adopted in its final form in only 1908, and Kitchener's face on a recruiting poster – were cleverly done.
Mr Kaucz, a retired town planner, started work on the project last November.
Signature features of his "monoliths", the first of which was created while a student in Edinburgh 45 years ago, include a vertical orientation, a central monolithic structure, ascending spirals and a lithographic quality created by blending heavily stylised pen and ink graphic elements.
He said the vast bulk of the effort involved was the research and the creation of a montage of images that served as the plan for the finished work.
"The final drawing is done in pen and Indian ink," he said. "It is a very unforgiving medium; there is no room for mistakes."
Mr Kaucz said the Great War monolith took the viewer on a visual journey from the domestic tranquillity of suburban life (at the bottom right hand side of the picture) through the various theatres of the war to a world laid waste.
Animals, many of which have been conscripted to serve in humanity's war, feature strongly. They include carrier pigeons being pursued by trained hawks, horses, donkeys and camels and even a German message-carrying dog.
The rise of the killing machines, including tanks, battleships, submarines, aircraft and some of the biggest guns ever built, is also documented.
The human perspective is front and centre with dozens of individual portraits including Turkish and Australian soldiers and leaders from the various sides.
Australian heroes include Simpson, AE2 commander Henry Stoker, Charles Bean, General Harry Chauvel and Monash.
The monolith is crowned by the Leaning Virgin of Albert, a statue on a cathedral in the French province of Picardy.
ANZAC 100: Australia and The Great War is available to buy as a limited-edition reproduction on fine art paper, hand signed by the artist, and available framed or unframed. To order your copy visit smhshop.com.au/anzac100
