Artist Statement:

Underground Soldiers is the second series of paintings based on John Madden's coal mining roots on the West Coast of the South Island. The response to Madden's first series, Black Truth (2004) was quite overwhelming and the subject matter clearly struck and deep and resonant chord in many a Kiwi psyche. As writer/curator Dr Peter Simpson wrote in his 2004 essay, Out of the Darkness: Into the Memory: "Many aspects of the miner's lives are captured in these strong and bleakly beautiful paintings." This second (and final) series, Underground Soldiers is even more poignant. In 2004, the artist wrote the following by way of introduction to the work and the same holds true for this series:

"This exhibition is a homage to Forgotten Heroes. Coal mining is in my blood, for I listened to the stories as a child. I felt the close embrace of my society & saw the bond & trust of men. I learned of tenacity and bravery beyond thinking. My childhood was embedded in that world, a class of a different kind.

These works are of the people, now ghosts of an era that no longer remains, & of those that do. My Mother, above ground, the Matriarch- running & caring for all the household needs & those of the church & community. My Father-the Hewer-Trucker-Filler, the breadwinner-underground. The quiet strength of my Father- his face, eyes, the calloused hands, the blue black miners' tattoo, sealed into broken skin. All of this has left this legacy for me, to portray in paint this testament to New Zealand's History. In a real way, a story untold."

John Madden