Representation, access, and the artist in the world of war art…with Rebecca Newell

My guest this week is Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) and lead curator of the fantastic Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at IWM London. Rebecca brings the stories of war art to life in this fascinating conversation, taking me through the history of the IWM’s vast collections of 20th and 21st century art, and breaking down how hugely influential the work of artists has continued to be in witnessing, documenting, and informing audiences, even with the accelerated rise of film and photographic depictions of war. In perhaps the most uplifting end to all my conversations on this podcast so far, with all the fears around disinformation and the challenges of managing rapidly expanding collections, Rebecca talks about her work with a thriving community of artists, and offers a gentle reminder that it’s important to ensure that we keep our focus on people and the human story of war imagery. (Sadly, the art installation at IWM North that Rebecca mentions near the end of the podcast, Chila Welcomes You by Chila Kumari Singh Burman, ended in August 2025. However, IWM North is currently running an exhibition inspired by Chila’s installation called Outrageous Women: Marriage, religion and culture until 31 January 2026: https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/outrageous-women-marriage-religion-and-culture) Rebecca’s selected imagesJohn Singer Sargent, Gassed, 1919 https://www.iwm.org.uk/gassed-by-john-singer-sargentNevison, Paths of Glory, 1917 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/20211Kennardphillips. Photo Op, 2007 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/42971