not titled ["Return to Australia"] Accession Number: AWM2020.205.40.266

Description

Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province.

While on deployment, Cooper was able to sketch and write in his journal, and he also recorded footage of troop movements and the local Afghan people. Cooper was discharged in early 2011. Once home, he produced a sequenced set of 346 works on paper, referring back to the notes and footage he made in Afghanistan so that he could tell the story of his deployment with absolute accuracy. Cooper wanted to show people exactly what he had witnessed and experienced at war.

Text in book:

23 JAN 2011

AUSTRALIAN MEDIC ASK'S
DO YOU WANT A R.T.A.
WHAT'S THAT?
"RETURN TO AUSTRALIA"
I SAID... NO I WANT to
RETURN to MY TROOP....

Details

Accession Number
AWM2020.205.40.266
Classification
Art
Object Type
Work on paper
Physical Description
Medium: watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
Medium
watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
Date Made
2011
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Donated 2020
Copyright
AWM Licensed copyright

Conflicts

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Record information

Last modified: 10 August 2025 - 11.46 pm