A peer recommended this book, Afterwards- Contemporary Photography Confronting the Past, Nathalie Herschodorfer. It presents work from various artists from around the globe that form their practice around scenes of events, but not capturing the real time but the ‘afterwards’. “Afterwards aims to provide an overview of contemporary forms of documentary photography and the controversial role of the image as record, eyewitness account and tangible account.” (Herschodofer, Sep 2011,p13)
Over 30 photographers feature in this book, that look at the idea of capturing a trace of a troubling event of history. At this point I’m not sure if my work focuses on a troubling trace of an event to that existent of the work featured in this book. My work does have some similar elements such as the areas I capture are a result of a war, I’m looking to produce a record and look at the social & political outcomes of this difficult period. However, I’m also looking to commemorate the war efforts being either the Royal Air Force or the local people themselves. Many of these works have been curated together because they represent a global conflict or an event that provokes an emotional response from the viewer which is always negative, one because war is never pleasant, blood is always spilled. With my work, is it possible to push pass the negative conations and focus on understanding and commemoration? I have decided focus on a couple of practitioners from this book that relate most, to my practice and perhaps can relate mythologies and ideologies around ‘afterwards’.
Peter Hebeisen- European Battlefields, 2014
Hebeisen’s series focuses on capturing major battlefields within Europe around the 20th century. Nathalie Herschodorfer (Afterwards, Sep 2011,p32) says about the work “Hebeisen offers us an external view of the locations in which these battles took place. He has focused on the moment when things have returned to normal, when the terrible massacres have given way to scenes of peace and tranquillity.” On first glance these landscape images draw you into their aesthetically pleasing composition, with a large section of sky that features interesting cloud formations or the tranquillity of dusk/sunset. Once pared with their context it quickly comes apparent that this series is anything but tranquil landscapes. Almost every visual element featured is a contrast to what would have been pictured at the time of the event. There is a sense of stillness from every scene, but the familiar present, which shows in the silhouettes of the buildings on the horizon. This stillness gives you time to contemplate and reflect on the contrasting scenes that would have been captured. Hebeisen deals with 2 elements, the landscape how it has been regenerated or returned to its natural state. Makes you contemplate if there are any remnants left or how long it took to return to this stillness. The second is to reflect on the history and stories that happened at each battle ground.
No other contextualisation is given so it is up to the viewer to seek out the history if they wanted (I would). With this in mind it lets the audience interpret what war visually looks like for them, which is interesting when it comes to the more rural landscape images. I find it harder to interpret those rural landscapes within a war context, so I guess that makes me imagine a little harder and create a narrative. I can take a lot from this work in the fact I can be more external within my approach and still document my ideas around WW2 airfield sites. Makes me consider if I need to include historical discourse from that area or leave it up to the audience’s interpretation.
http://www.peterhebeisen.com/european-battlefields/
Shai Kremer Infected Landscapes, 2007
This series focuses on Israel’s training zones, configured to represent towns and villages. The training zones help Israeli soldiers manoeuvre through these realistic shops, mosques and hospitals in preparation for military operations. (https://www.shaikremer.com/rust/8f5qhgqzfxfrm29zg8asvnr49zy1gt)
Herschodorfer says about Kremer’s work that “He depicts a place that was kept secret until recently- a military base used to train Israeli soldiers- but he has kept his photographs devoid of human presence, in order to make us think in wider terms of the manner in which this land has been occupied.” (Herschodorfer, Sep 2011,p138) This is an interesting series, the images visually convey a surveillance maybe voyeuristic feel as we are looking into this military world. Captured objectively the viewer scans the image through these configured streets and has time to contemplate the meaning of this landscape. The pre-war images not often seen unlike the capture of during and after but the physical build up to the war is present.
https://www.shaikremer.com/rust/8f5qhgqzfxfrm29zg8asvnr49zy1gt
This book has given me a wider perspective on ‘aftermath’ photography in varying degrees. I think my work does fit in this category, even though emotional responses to my project, will be different from those body of works that feature traces of events that deal with the greater consequences of an event and are ruined by global conflicts.
Critical Research Journal 