Certain aspects of these pieces connect to the romanticized elements of war such as patriotism, pride, bravery, and strength set against dramatic backgrounds, yet the surrealist qualities are a clue to the confusion and harsh senselessness of war. The anthropomorphosis of geese sporting human arms, while being a strange idea, also creates a sense of irony where becoming more human, with arms and guns, they are also adopting a brutal more animalistic behavior associated with war. Not only does this anthropomorphosis suggest the animalistic and destructive behavior of humans, it also aids in expressing the freak-show of which war can be. This may hint to the tragic dismemberment from battle. Some soldiers lose limbs and here the lost wings are replaced with prosthetic arms. The scale distortion of the human-sized geese also provokes a conflict in the viewer's emotions. While the idea of giant geese can seem mildly humourous, or ridiculous to some, the subject is also a bit disquieting and foreboding of post-apocalyptic mutations.   

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“The Gosling’s Crusade” consists of three main characters in the foreground and a tattered barn in the background. This rural atmosphere created with a closer and warmer environment, create a more personal connection with viewers, causing further engagement. While the geese emit an air of boldness and anticipation, the distant wreckage of the barn signals the grim future of the geese and the potential ruin to come. The next piece in the series, “Wild-Goose Chase”, is a much more stylized painting. It references World War II Canadian propaganda posters and it promotes the enlistment of these characters. Suddenly, with this blatant reference to war, it enhances the reality. It is the face of our wars. This exaggerated display of bravery and comfort of being part of a team created in the poster contrasts with the realism in the other pieces. In the third painting, “From Dusk ‘til Down” the smoke in the distance is evidence of a past battle. The brave determination on the faces of the geese hints to imminent bloodshed. The foe of the Canadian geese is left a mystery. The viewer can only wonder who the geese are fighting. A similar environment ties it together with the personal first piece in the series, yet with this connection, the cold desolation is made even more prominent in the third. The past and impending violence haunt the three paintings and pierce through the typical glorified perspectives of war to reveal the harsh realities.

 

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