Here, repeated images, such as can be generated by computers, raise questions about individual identity and the nature of soldiering. The soldier is part of a fighting unit defined by his uniform, but each is still a unique individual, a real person who may die in the course of duty. And despite wearing uniform, soldiers go to great lengths to bring a sense of individuality to their appearance, even with the khaki and olive drab of today.

The use of motifs such as Warhol’s iconic soup tin, the pixellation and repetition of images defines this painting as Pop Art. The artist Gerald Laing wanted to encourage the spectator to consider a multiplicity of meanings: some have seen this as showing war as just another product of consumerism. A former officer in the Northumberland Fusiliers, Laing was also concerned to acknowledge those currently serving in the Army – society’s unsung heroes.