NAM.2013-11-44-1

Oral history interview with Kevin Leahy (aka War Boutique), 2003- . Interview conducted by Jo Sohn-Rethel at National Army Museum Chelsea, 1 Nov 2013. Conducted for the Contemporary Collecting Project, Exit from Afghanistan (2013). Digital audio file, duration: 1 hr 30 min 16 sec. Associated with 1st Afghan War (1838-1842), 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880) and 3rd Afghan War (1919), Operation TELIC, Iraq (2003-2011) 2003-2009 and Operation HERRICK, Afghanistan (2002-2014) 2004- . Interview covers his career as an artist responding to forms of conflict, focusing on his textile artwork ‘The Great Game’; describing his role as a textile designer at a body armour manufacturer and his course at Goldsmiths; describing setting up War Boutique in 2003 as way of opening up debate about war through art and early artworks using body armour material; describing his inspiration for creating the textile artwork ‘The Great Game’ and the research and collection of materials required; describing the key themes and messages of the artwork including the changing nature of uniform, camouflage and warfare; describing the meaning and history behind each material used and how he collected each example; describing his thoughts on the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan; describing the display and interpretation of ‘The Great Game’ at other institutions and his plans for the future.

1st Afghan War (1838-1842), 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880), 3rd Afghan War (1919)

TELIC, Operation, 2003-2009 (Iraq 2003-2011), HERRICK, Operation, 2002-14 (Afghanistan 2001-2021)