Suzanne Opton, a New York based portrait photographer, had attempted to expand her public art project, Soldier, an extension of her 2007 exhibition of the same name, only to have the billboard company, CBS Outdoor, void her contract. Company representatives stated that they felt the large-scale photographs of soldiers in between tours of duty (taken at Fort Drum in 2004 and 2005) could be too disturbing for those driving by the billboards. The fact that the billboards were going to be installed near the Republican National Convention site was not stated as a reason but one would assume that had an impact on the decision.

This decision reminds us of the whitewashing of the images of war in recent history. It is most likely a lesson that the Bush administration learned from the Vietnam era, don’t bring the visual horrors of the war home.

The Fallen Hero Commemoration Act, or H.R. 6662, was introduced on July 30^th of this year. The bill states: “The Secretary of Defense shall grant access to accredited members of the media at military commemoration ceremonies and memorial services conducted by the Armed Forces for members of the Armed Forces who have died on active duty and when the remains of members of the Armed Forces arrive at military installations in the United States.” Authored by Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.), this bill is an effort to honor those who have fallen in the service of their country but would also bring the realities of warfare back to the public consciousness. It is an effort to make sure that the families of the fallen soldiers know that they are not alone in their suffering and that their sacrifice is duly honored.

 But we should never forget the effects on the soldiers that return alive. Opton’s work is an effort to capture the effect on young men and women of seeing too much.  

http://www.suzanneopton.com/

http://soldiersface.com/

NPR:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7403169  

http://www.lensculture.com/opton.html

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