A noteworthy group of photojournalists gathered at photo agency VII’s Brooklyn studio last week. The small group represented some of the cream of photojournalists that had gathered in NYC for the recent New York Photo Festival. Among them were Gary Knight and Ashley Gilbertson.
Also on hand was Tim Hetherington, whose notable photo installation “Sleeping Soldiers” is causing quite a stir in the photography world. The installation is notable because of the incredibly creative way it approaches depicting the war in Afghanistan. 3 panels show images of sleeping American soldiers in Afghanistan, overlayed with video and still images. There is then an eerie related soundtrack of helicopters, gunshots, explosions, and crying men.
“Sleeping Soldiers” is a shocking look at the war in Afghanistan and the impact it has had on American soldiers. To watch it literally feels like being in the middle of a restless, hellish nightmare.
At this point, Hetherington won’t put the installation online for viewing, but other examples of his work can be seen on his website. A launch of his new book, “Long Story Bit by Bit: Liberia 2003-2007” will also be held in Brooklyn, New York on June 4. More details available here.