The war put men in an extreme situation and left them with no one but each other. Facing fear, hunger, loneliness, and the desire for physical and emotional contact. Underneath the decent uniforms, glittering badges, and rousing music are soldiers' repressed emotions.
In War Intimacy, I explored the intimate relationships between soldiers on the battlefield. I was inspired by the forbidden love during World War 2 between soldiers Gilbert and Gordon. Homosexuality was illegal in the past, and being caught in the army as a gay man was much worse.
I restored the story by creating a letter and photo archive to tell the narrative behind the bond between two men and remind us of the power of love.
For fear of being accused of being gay, soldiers would burn their letters after reading them. Even so, Gilbert and Gordon kept the 600 letters they sent to each other during the war. They valued the memories of their love far more than the risk of getting caught.