Ted Dutch

War Games

The title piece from a series of works completed from 1967-1970, 'War Games' brings to the fore Dutch’s fascination with warriors posturing in the name of Quixotic quests. While still retaining a sense of fun which characterizes Dutch’s work, the ridiculous nature of the central figures does not lessen the emptiness and sense of oppression created by the monolithic background treatment. Indeed the combatants appear to be ineffectual and insignificant, with the self-important combatants with thier array of weaponary appearing more as actors playing parts than deadly warriors. This work was featured in the book 'Prints and Printmakers in New Zealand' by Peter Cape in 1974 and remains a favourite work from Dutch's collection to the present day.