Assassins I

Of Frink's Assassins, Sarah Kent (A Bestiary for our Time, published in Elisabeth Frink Sculpture, p. 60) comments, 'A number of armoured men follow, their heads and stiff bodies fused with the armour to provide an all-over bony protection. The Assassins come in pairs, their identities hidden behind masks, helmets or hoods. Their appearance implies a ruthless dehumanization, but they are not robots ... they are hired killers who carry out their tasks efficiently, anonymously and without mercy, but they are also sensate human beings responsible for their actions and aware of their moral implications. Nor can these men be dismissed as dictators' henchmen - the long arm of tyranny and, therefore, beyond the moral pale. The references to armour and other military equipment suggest that they could be a couple of soldiers sent on a special mission. Frink makes no distinction between one form of murder and another. These sculptures imply that there can be no excuses for cruelty - no 'just' wars'.