Norman Eric Wallace
Officer’s Uniforms, digital embroidery, lazertran digital fabric print, felt. 2005-2007
Observer 2nd Lieut Norman Eric Wallace suffered terrible facial burns when his aircraft crashed in France in September 1917. Both uniform sculptures are dense with information. Back embroideries give information from the ‘Crash Cards’ and report into the death of the pilot (Payne) flying the aircraft. Throughout Wallace 1 are copious notes and sketches from his medical record describing the lifting of a shoulder pedicle tube to his chin and nose. In addition to the shoulder pedicle in place on the face piece, the cheek panels are made from the fabric of Officers breeches. Wallace had grafts taken from his buttocks to replace the scarred skin on the facial cheeks of Wallace. Wallace 1 also illustrates the lifting and tubing of a branch pedicle flap to be swung up to his face. Wallace 2 continues the story with the proposed turning of the chest branch pedicle tube up onto the face with the free end to be opened and spread over the nose, cheek and upper lip . Once the flap of ‘skin’ is move, an image of Wallace prior to grafting is revealed underneath the displaced fabric.
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