Juma Gul, Charahi Qambar Refugee Camp, Kabul, Afghanistan, 2011 © Larry Towell / Magnum Photos
Opening Reception and Book Launch: November 1, 2-5pm
Exhibition dates: October 25 – November 22, 2014
The gallery is pleased to present its seventh exhibition of work by the renowned photojournalist Larry Towell. This exhibition concentrates on photographs made in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2011, the subject of a major monograph published by Aperture Foundation.
For 30 years, Afghanistan has known only war. With this work, Towell presents a moving and in-depth look at the country, whose citizens and landscapes are affected by conflict on a daily basis. A veteran conflict reporter, Towell has worked in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Vietnam, Mexico, Africa, Palestine and Afghanistan. This work offers a tour de force examination of survival, exile, loss and recuperation. Towell shows the war from a variety of perspectives – from military camps to domestic interiors – and offers depictions of US soldiers, landmine victims, ordinary Afghan citizens, cityscapes and weaponry, as well as a rare series of Taliban portraits.
The exhibition displays key photographs taken over the course of his time spent in Afghanistan, and begins with his famous image taken at Ground Zero in New York City on September 11, 2001. His 35mm work seen together with his panoramas offer an insightful report that bears witness to the lives of Afghanis living amongst conflict.
This new publication presents a facsimile of the photographer's original artist maquette, complete with his handwritten notes, stories, and over 350 images, including collages. A true art object, this book conveys the complexity of the conflict, which has roots that go deep into historical and tribal grievances. Beautifully produced in a limited edition, this extraordinary compilation offers an important historical document on present-day Afghanistan seen through its social, political and environmental landscapes.
