Culps Hill 

David Michael Bowers created 'Culps Hill' using oil on canvas, a medium steeped in the tradition of fine art painting. The rich layering of paint, painstakingly applied with brushes, builds up an image of Civil War soldiers amidst a dense forest, the textures of bark, leaves, and fabric meticulously rendered. But beyond the technical skill, the very act of choosing oil paint - a material associated with grand historical narratives - raises questions. How does the labor-intensive process of painting, with its echoes of past artistic traditions, intersect with the portrayal of soldiers, caught in the machinery of war? The artist's careful hand, building up the scene bit by bit, invites us to consider the human cost behind the grand narratives of history, and to challenge the distinction between battlefield and studio, craft and conflict. Let's remember that materials, making, and context are key to understanding this artwork, prompting us to reconsider traditional boundaries between fine art and craft.