March 18, 2008
W A R S - A series of four essays revolving around a common topic
Claudine Boeglin
Magnum In Motion's new format with it's inaugural series WARS
Magnum In Motion has set a new format, as a series of four essays where photographers' imagery, experiences, and commentary come together to explore a given theme.
WARS, the inaugural series will launch on the Magnum In Motion home page, March 19, five years after the war in Iraq began. It will be published on Slate as four episodes.
The point of departure was a quote extracted from Magnum photographer Philip Jones Griffiths from a 2006 interview conducted in London by Magnum In Motion.
The British photographer, and author of the book Vietnam Inc. (1971), said with tongue in cheek: "Photographers are either mud people or sand people. I'm a mud person."
Three photographers covering conflicts today were asked to react to this quote with their own experiences of documenting wars.
Christopher Anderson "It’s not actually the dead that I have seen in the Middle East, the physical destruction, that takes the toll: It’s this sense of this endless cycle. It’s hard to go and watch the similar sort of circumstances play themselves out over and over again."
Paolo Pellegrin "While covering the war in Lebanon in 2006, bombs and missiles were exploding around us—but you never saw who was launching them. It was different from
all the wars I had covered before, where you always had a sense of front lines and space and your presence within that space. This might be the way future wars look."
Thomas Dworzak "I’m embedded with the Americans in Iraq. As a Westerner, there is no more access to the insurgent’s side. I don’t claim to have any overview. History
made my choice—it’s fine!"
Please let us know what you think, we will appreciate all feedback a lot!
Links:
» W A R S / Philip Jones Griffiths
» W A R S / Christopher Anderson
» W A R S / Paolo Pellegrin
» W A R S / Thomas Dworzak
Published on the Magnum Blog on March 18, 2008
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